


End of the Line

by unsureavenger



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Gen, Getting Back Together, M/M, POV swapping, Post-Canon, new villains, written blood of olympus style
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:53:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 51
Words: 129,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28071255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unsureavenger/pseuds/unsureavenger
Summary: Five years after Percy Jackson's disappearance, Olympus is falling, and their enemies are at a new height of power. Camp Jupiter has been destroyed and its inhabitants slaughtered, while Camp Half-Blood is facing problems of its own.After a kidnapping dangerously shakes the camp's morale, Rachel gives the first prophecy she has given in years - cryptic, yet it assures them of death.Meanwhile, Percy and Piper struggle to wrench themselves free of Pontus' grasp in the deep village of Agatha. Their time is running out like sand in an hourglass, and the axe dangling over their hands is lowering.Annabeth is broken, Jason is hurt, and the Seven are falling apart. They scramble to pick up the pieces as they sail across the Atlantic in search of their only hope: the spell to awaken Ouranos, primordial of the heavens before he was cut down by his son Kronos.In a mad dash to save the world, the Seven faces problems that could tear them down from the inside.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Jason Grace & Percy J. & Hazel Levesque & Piper McLean & Leo Valdez & Frank Zhang, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Calypso/Leo Valdez, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 17
Kudos: 45





	1. The Massacre

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this story over the course of 2019, so the level of writing definitely isn’t up to the standard I consider it at today, but this was one of the first stories I ever wrote, so it’s definitely worth a read!

Prologue - Gone

Percy Jackson woke up to the smell of lemons and fresh mint. Letting out a yawn, he rolled over on his side to see his beautiful girlfriend, Annabeth Chase, curled up in a peaceful sleeping position.

She'd sneaked into his cabin the night before, and they'd stayed up till midnight just talking in the dark.

Nothing could've spoiled that feeling of happiness that made his heart flutter. 

Except perhaps the clock by his bedside. It read 8.42a.m. Percy swore softly under his breath. Breakfast was at 9 o'clock sharp, and if Chiron caught them in alone in the same cabin...

"Wise Girl," he whispered, nudging her in the side. Annabeth stirred slightly, her blonde hair a tangled mess on his pillow. Percy shook her gently again, happy to see a pair of grey eyes looking hazily back at him. 

"Good morning, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth whispered back. She shifted into a sitting position and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I don't want to move. I just want to stay in bed all day. This moment is too perfect."

Percy chuckled as he played with a lock of her hair. "Well, if someone finds out, we won't exactly be in the best position to have anymore moments."

"You'd be a pile of ashes on my bedside table," Annabeth laughed. "Courtesy of my loving mother," she added. "Don't forget about your underwater mission later." 

Percy nuzzled his head into hers. "Operation Find Atlantis," he declared. Annabeth just rolled her eyes. "It's a code name," he clarified. 

"It's not a James Bond movie, Percy," Annabeth insisted. 

"Yeah, yeah," he droned with a bored tone, drawing circles on her hand. "Chiron wants me to check the waters. Evidently, I'm the only Captain Seawater available."

Annabeth smacked him gently on the shoulder. "I'm serious, Percy. The spikes in ultrasonic waves could mean something. Frank registered the same in the waters near Camp Jupiter and there aren't any whales or dolphins there." 

"I know," Percy assured her. "This is my domain, it's the only area which I can beat you in."

"In your dreams, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth teased. Percy just shrugged. He wouldn't ever admit it, but Annabeth could probably beat him at anything and everything by a large scale. 

"Hey, have you got anything later?" Percy asked her. "We can hang out if you want. Take Blackjack for a ride. I'm sure Chiron won't mind." Annabeth looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Saviors of Olympus and all."

She opened her mouth to reply when the sound of knuckles rapping on the door made them jump. 

"Percy?" It was Chiron. "May I speak to you quickly?" 

Percy shot Annabeth a panicked look, and she quickly dived under the covers, flattening herself out as much as possible. 

"Uh-Sure, come on in," Percy called out, stumbling over his words. He felt Annabeth lace her fingers between his and squeeze them for reassurance. 

He felt the need to snort. She wasn't the one being faced down by a scary mentor with a girlfriend hiding under the covers. 

Chiron trotted inside in full horse glory and all, holding a stack of papers in one hand. Percy groaned inwardly. He was going to leave a whole indented trail of hoof prints on the floor Tyson just fixed after Jason fried a hole in it. 

"Apologies, boy," Chiron said. "Did I wake you?" 

"Uh," Percy scrambled for words, any words, but when Annabeth poked him sharply in the thigh, he rapidly fabricated a tale. "No, I was-uh-reading."

Chiron's eyebrows shot towards the heavens. "Reading," he repeated bemusedly. Percy could almost hear Annabeth mentally slapping her forehead. 

He blushed and nodded. "So, what brings you here?" Percy averted the subject, shifting uncomfortably in his bed. 

"Just files with information that might help you on your trip underwater later on," Chiron said. He trotted over, placing the stack of files on Percy's bedside table. "Mostly the data that Reyna compiled and delivered to us via a Roman Eagle last week. You should read it over before the mission. Maybe you could consult Annabeth. After all, reading isn't exactly your...stronghold." 

Percy flushed a dark red again, prodding Annabeth under the covers where he knew she was stifling a laugh. The bed was practically shaking from her efforts. 

"Well, uh, okay," Percy rushed, trying to drop a hint, hoping Chiron would just go already. "I'd better get dressed then, see you in the pavilion for breakfast."

Fortunately, Chiron took that as his cue to leave, and after a painstakingly slow goodbye, trotted off to the Big House.

Annabeth emerged from below the covers, laughing hysterically "Reading?" she said incredulously. "The one time you have to lie, and you pick reading?" 

Percy could feel his cheeks reddening. "Oh, shut up. Just get out already."

Still laughing, Annabeth walked over to the window behind Percy's bunk. Evidently, it wasn't her first time sneaking out. 

She jumped up and caught ahold of the open window frame, hoisting her lithe body upwards. Swinging her torso, Annabeth brought her legs over the window such that she was hanging on the outside of Percy's cabin. 

"Wait!" 

She paused at his shout. 

Percy scrambled out of bed and looked up to kiss her. If anyone had walked in, it would've been a strange sight; Annabeth kissing Percy through a window near the ceiling. 

"I love you," he whispered as she smiled at him, jumping down on the other side. When he strained his ears, Percy heard a thud and light footsteps padding away to the Athena Cabin. He could almost hear her smiling. 

^^^^

Later in the afternoon, Percy headed out to the beach. The pristine sand and blue skies always calmed his mind. But it also reminded him of his lack of contact with his father, and that the Gods had cut themselves off again. Percy sent his father a prayer before stepping into the water. 

In the next second, a few things happened at once. 

A crunch in the sand was the only warning Percy received. He whirled around it's Riptide in hand, but a heavy weight clocked him round the head and sent him stumbling backwards. His vision was spinning, but Percy did his best to hold up Riptide. 

The same mass smashed into his head once more, and this time, Percy fell to the floor on his knees and keeled over into the sand. 

His eyelids fluttered close, and darkness overtook him.

^^^^

Annabeth stumbled through camp, stammering half-formed apologies to the campers she walked into. Practically sprinting inside her cabin, Annabeth slammed the door behind her and slid to the floor, a sob bubbling up in her throat. 

Tears burned in her eyes as she leaned her head against the door, shoulders heaving as she furiously wiped the tears from her face. 

Stop it, she chided herself dizzily. 

She couldn't. 

The image was seared into her mind like a permanent scar. 

Percy had his arms wrapped around someone, his hands tangled in curly red hair. 

He was kissing her. Rachel. 

Annabeth couldn't think straight. Her mind felt like a whirlwind of horrible thoughts and pain she didn't want to deal with. 

The sun was almost down, the beautiful sky taunting her as she tried to hold herself together. 

Annabeth had once thought that Percy would never cheat on her. Part of her wished she'd never seen them kissing on the beach a few minutes ago. Allow her to continue living in denial. She already had so little left, and now she didn't have Percy either? 

Footsteps crashed through her reverie, sending Annabeth staggering to her feet, gripping the bedpost of another camper's bed for support. 

Just in time as well, for the door flung wide open to reveal a familiar blonde son of Zeus. 

"Percy's missing," Jason panted breathlessly. 

Annabeth practically felt her heart stop. 

Her voice sounded faraway. Was that her speaking. "What?" It was. 

Jason's frantic expression didn't help as Annabeth tried to process the words. Missing? In the few minutes between the beach and now? 

"No one's seen him since lunch," Jason continued frustratedly, but he paused, studying her face. "Annabeth—Have you been crying?" 

Annabeth ducked her head to hide her reddened eyes. No, now wasn't the time. 

Before she knew it, Jason had his arms wrapped around her. 

It wasn't the smoothest hug. She and Jason had never been that close, but it helped. 

"We'll find him," Jason promised, misunderstanding her plight. "I swear to you." 

Annabeth plastered on a teary smile. "Yeah, yeah, okay." 

As they hurried to the Big House, Annabeth desperately tried to ignore flashes of Percy and Rachel. A small voice in the back of her mind taunted her; why save him? It's not like he'll come back to you. 

She ignored it. Above all else, Percy was still her friend. Still the leader of the camp. Her chest ached, as if she could actually feel her heart breaking. 

"No, this is like it was with Hera all over again," Clarisse growled, slamming her hand on the table. "Stupid Prissy. He needs to learn some self defence when we find him this time." 

The burly daughter of Ares seemed to offer Annabeth a reassuring glance, but Annabeth averted her gaze, not sure if she could take anymore of playing the "concerned girlfriend". 

"Okay, so lunch was the last time he was seen?" Chiron asked, his voice booming across the room and lilting with worry. 

Annabeth's gaze flickered to Rachel, who was sitting right next to Chiron. 

Wasn't Rachel going to say something? How about, "Yeah, I was kissing him five minutes ago. No big deal." 

For someone who had gotten pretty good at reading people, Annabeth couldn't spot a hint of deception on Rachel's face. She'd schooled her expression into one of pure worry. 

As she readied herself to say something, that niggling voice in the back of Annabeth's head returned forcefully. 

Do you really want the whole camp to know that Percy cheated on you? 

Annabeth swallowed. 

Because let's face it, you know that it was your fault. You've been so busy with work lately, he had to turn to another for affection. 

Are you really going to ruin his reputation for something you made happen?

[ 3 days later ]

"Any news?" Annabeth asked again. It was her third day of her pestering Chiron. She'd be surprised if he didn't roundhouse kick her soon. 

Chiron shook his head soberly. "Sorry, Annabeth. None of our scouts have transmitted back any information."

She sighed exasperatedly, running a hand through her tangled blonde hair. A few days more and she'd be balding. "No word at all? Even the smallest clue?" 

"Unfortunately no, child. There hasn't been any sign of Percy. It's as if he's disappeared-"

"-off the face of the Earth," Annabeth finished glumly. She'd expected as much anyway. "I just-" she hesitated. "-I guess I was just hoping."

Her mentor gave her a sympathetic look, placing a hand on her shoulder for reassurance. "If there's any word at all," he promised. "I'll send for you immediately." 

"Thank you," Annabeth said gratefully. 

"Now run along," he shooed. "In times of distress, I find the training dummies particularly inviting." 

They exchanged the usual farewells, and Annabeth tramped out of the Big House with her head hanging disappointedly. 

It had been three days since the mysterious disappearance of demigod hero, Percy Jackson. A leader to many, friend to all, and the world to Annabeth. 

Well, used to be. 

Shuffling through the stack of papers in her hand, Annabeth skimmed over the words again. Not a sign of any certain demigod sons of Poseidon. Reyna and Frank had been working together with her to get the message of distress across all the ex-legionnaire demigods over the globe from Camp Jupiter. 

Suddenly remembering the daily Iris-Message schedule she had fixed with the leaders of Camp Jupiter, Annabeth glanced at her watch, swearing lightly under her breath. She'd missed the time by fifteen minutes, after Reyna had specifically reminded her not to be a second late. 

Digging through her pockets without any luck, Annabeth ran over the nearest passing demigod. It was Nico, the son of Hades, and as he had reluctantly relayed to her a few weeks before, who was going out with Will Solace. 

"Any drachmas?" she demanded breathlessly. "I need to IM Reyna and Frank. I'm late and you know how Reyna gets when people aren't on time."

Nico pulled a face. "She gets all RARA," he said understandingly. "Pun intended," he added. He placed a drachma from his pocket in Annabeth's open palm. "I'll go with you."

Not too mindful of the company, Annabeth headed in the direction of the shore with Nico trailing alongside her. "No news of Percy yet?" he questioned. 

She shook her head miserably. "I've asked Chiron. Clovis is searching dreams, and Rachel's trying to do whatever the heck awakens the creepy Oracle spirit in her. If I ask her again, she might murder me with her blue hairbrush."

"I've seen that thing injure a Titan," Nico assured her with an expression of dead seriousness. "I am sufficiently afraid." 

Annabeth laughed at that. She peered into the distance. They were already past the pavilion, almost to the sea. Hopefully no one else was using the community spray guns. 

"Hey, do you know when's the next time Hazel's visi-" Nico doubled over with an agonizing groan mid-sentence, sending Annabeth into emergency mode. 

He doubled over, wrapping his arms around himself and shivering endlessly. Alarmed, Annabeth sunk to her knees beside him, stroking his back reassuringly. 

"Get help!" she shouted to a passing group of campers who'd paused at the commotion. One of the girls nodded and raced off in the direction of the infirmary. "Nico," Annabeth urged fearfully. "What is it?" 

He was panting. "Death," Nico choked out. "Camp Jupiter..." He groaned, but staggered to his feet. 

Annabeth could feel her heart pounding at his words. At his insistance, she hauled him to his feet, and the two of them straggled to the shore like a duo of drunken demigods. 

"What's wrong? Nico, what is it?" she practically screamed at him.

"Camp Jupiter," he told her through gritted teeth. "Something's wrong, I don't understand why. There's so much death—" He interrupted himself again with another groan. 

Annabeth dived for the spray gun lying aimlessly on the beach, and she pumped it up with water quickly. "Oh, Iris, almighty goddess of rainbows, please show me Reyna at Camp Jupiter," she stumbled over her words, fumbling to dish the sparkling coin into the spray of mist. 

"Reyna! Reyna!" Annabeth called frantically into the blurry image that was just starting to take focus. "What's going on down there?" 

Her mind whirled with panic. Oh gods, Jason, Hazel, Frank and Reyna were all there...if anything happened to them—

Her panicked mantra was broken by the sound of metal against metal. Screams pierced the air, and Annabeth couldn't help wincing at the blood-curdling sound. 

"Annabeth!" Reyna came into the mist image, her voice shaky and trembling, instead of the steady and unfaltering tone Annabeth was used to. "Thank the gods!"

"What's happening? Nico said something was off, and—" Annabeth was interrupted by another figure coming into the image. A monster, deadly sword swiping and parrying Reyna's blades. Her dogs, Aurum and Augentum, were taking turns leaping onto the shell of the monster, only to be flung off. 

Annabeth's eyes widened is astonishment. The monster wasn't anything she'd ever seen - or read about - before. It was like an evil version of the teenage mutant ninja turtles.

The monster had a changing face, swirling rapids of a water current, its eyes made of empty holes in the water. There was a monstrous sneer on its face (was the water the face?), and its body was blocked from Annabeth's sight by a large earthen shell wrapping it in a cocoon, similar to a turtle's shell. 

"Reyna," Nico shouted from behind Annabeth. "Where's Hazel? And Jason? And Frank? What's going on?"

"They're attacking us," Reyna told us, eyes concentrated on the monster. "These aren't regular monsters, they're something we've never seen before. We aren't making a dent and the civilians are being slaughtered by the hundreds!" He voice cracked towards the end. "I couldn't save them," Reyna said miserably. 

She started to say something, but her voice was drowned out by the calm sound of a woman's voice, "Please insert another drachma to continue the call." 

It repeated the blaring message and Annabeth turned her pockets inside out, looking desperately to Nico. 

Nico struggled to his feet, yanking Annabeth back by the shoulder. "We're coming, Reyna," he shouted to the dissolving image. 

Without any sound from the didappearing message, Annabeth could only read her lips; "Hurry."

"We have to go," Nico was muttering under his breath. "We have to go." He turned to Annabeth. "I'll shadow travel us there," he said shakily. "It won't be the most stable ride, but I've toned out the deaths so we probably shouldn't be lost in oblivion."

He reached for Annabeth's shoulder to step into a palm tree's shadow when she halted him sharply. 

"Nico, you heard Reyna. None of our weapons work on them, and that thing that Reyna was fighting will match any mortal weapon," Annabeth reminded, slapping some sense into Nico. 

He threw his hands in the air. "So? We can't leave them there, Annabeth, I'm going with or without you-"

"Just calm down," she said irritatedly. "I'm saying that we should use a weapon that they can't match."

Nico stopped his rant mid-sentence. "Leo," he whispered, echoing her exact thought.

^^^^

"Get them!" Annabeth shouted as they landed in Camp Jupiter. 

Nico's eyebrows shot skyward. "Holy Hades! What are those?" 

The monsters attacking Camp Jupiter weren't anything Annabeth had ever seen before. They had rock-hard, earthen shells, and swirling current of water inside. Their long arms and hands were made from rocks and held earthworm swords nearly as tall as Annabeth. The creature stood to around seven feet and thundered through the camp, cutting down civilians by the dozen. 

"Gah!" Leo blasted the first creature he saw in alarm. "They're teenage mutant ninja turtles!" 

That reminded Annabeth of Percy. He'd always loved that show. She pushed him out of her mind and forced herself to focus. 

Annabeth scanned the field. Legionnaires were defending as well as they could, but civilians were armed only with household objects. Screams and the rusty odour of blood filled the air, blocking Annabeth's air track and making her nauseous. 

"Protect the civilians!" Annabeth yelled over the commotion. "That's our priority! We need to get them out of here!" 

Nico nodded. "I'll shadow-travel back to camp and bring over reinforcements. Piper's already on her way with the Pegasi and chariots." 

The ground shook and unbalanced them as a one of the massive creatures stomped towards them. 

"We'll cover you!" Annabeth told Nico. "Go!" 

She drew her sword and readied her stance. 

Nico faded into the shadows just as the creature's sword came down. Annabeth ducked and rolled away, springing back to her feet and partying away another strike. 

She jumped out of the way with a yelp, and the creature's foot quickly imprinted itself just where she'd been standing before. 

Her mind whirled with strategies and tactics. The creature's size was its advantage, but that would slow it down. 

Annabeth slid under and between the creature's legs and slashed upwards. The water inside the creates started pouring out do the whole, but soil started to grow up the creature's leg and quickly sealed the cut. 

"That makes it harder," Annabeth murmured to herself. 

She slashed cleanly through the creature's legs, then impaled it through the gut. Her stance wobbled due to her lack of experience with fighting with a long blade, but she managed to floor the creature. 

Annabeth drove her sword into the creature's body and created a large hole. A fireball came out of nowhere and blasted the creature right in the hole. 

The water evaporated from the heat, leaving an empty earthen shell on the ground. 

Annabeth glanced behind to see Leo, who shot her a grin and a thumbs-up. 

In that instant, a bright light was cast on the ground. Annabeth glanced up to see a line of purple sparks overhead, like someone had cut a slit into the sky. 

The line expanded into a circle, and a whole line of Pegasi zoomed through. 

Piper was leading the charge and sitting atop the first pegasus. She landed her pegasus and chariot on the ground, then sprinted over to Annabeth. 

Piper wrapped her in a hug. "Gods, Annabeth! I was so worried!" She withdrew. "Butch said Nico stumbled into the stables and started yelling at everyone to get to Camp Jupiter. Gods, I thought the worst when I heard." 

"Piper!" 

Both girls turned around to see Jason sprinting towards them with his sword in hand. He slashed at a creature and ran up to them, panting rapidly. 

"What's happening? Are you okay? Are you injured?" Piper bombarded, checking Jason for cuts. 

He gave her a quick kiss. "I'm fine, Pipes. But the invicta are slaughtering us." 

"Invicta?" Annabeth repeated. "Latin for invincible. I see you've come up with a name for them." 

The ground to their right exploded, and Annabeth instinctively shielded her face. 

A dragon with shining red scales landed with a crash. Amidst its tuck and tumble, the dragon turned into a very red Frank. 

"Is it hot in here?" Frank said frantically, fanning his face. 

"I think it's because you're breathing fire," Jason told him. 

Frank sighed. "All part of a praetor's day."

A blur of white circled the group and came to stop by Annabeth. Hazel dismounted Arion and gave her a hug. "Guys! I haven't seen you in ages!" 

The others seemed to realise that this was their first reunion in a couple of weeks, and hugs were exchanged. 

"What's the plan?" Leo popped up between Jason and Piper, scaring Frank. 

"Watch it, man," Frank grumbled. 

"Piper, Jason, Hazel, get the people out," Annabeth instructed. "The rest of us are going on defence. Frank, you're great, but I kind of need the dragon right now." 

Frank frowned. "Fine." He slowly morphed into a dragon and roared into the air, spitting up a column of flames. 

"Show off," Leo muttered. 

"Go! Go!" Piper urged them. 

Annabeth drew her sword and started ushering any stragglers towards her other friends. 

"Get out of here!" she told a Roman demigod with a clumsy attack. Annabeth pushed through the crowds, trying to ignore the dead bodies, the faces she recognised, and the ones she didn't. 

"Oh gods," Annabeth gasped as she caught a staggering demigod. 

It was Dakota, one of Jason's old legion members who was addicted to Kool-Aid. 

"Annabeth?" Dakota said in confusion, before his eyes rolled up into his head and he fell slack in her arms. 

Annabeth nearly dropped him when she finally noticed the longsword sticking grotesquely out of his stomach.

"Rest in peace," Annabeth choked out, setting him down gently and closing his eyes. She didn't know Dakota that well, but he had fought bravely against Gaia. 

She forced herself to leave him and move on. 

Annabeth passed more dead bodies. Even the statue of Terminus was shattered and splintered, lying abandoned on the ground. 

The creatures seemed to have retreated, and only a few were left. Annabeth didn't want to engage with any more, but she spotted a lone figure facing off an invictus. 

She took of into the air with a flying leap and landed on this invictus' shoulders. Annabeth held the creature back as she shout at the demigod to make a run for it. 

He dropped his sword and started racing towards the Pegasi. 

The invictus bucked and Annabeth was thrown off. She landed on the ground with a thud and felt pain shooting up her left ankle. 

Cursing under her breath, Annabeth slowly stood up, wincing when she put weight on her leg. 

The swirling water of the invictus seemed to form a smirking face. 

Annabeth stared up at it defiantly, bracing herself for a final blow. 

Then it did something that surprised her even more. 

It spoke. 

"You'll never find Percy Jackson," it rasped. 

Annabeth stumbled backwards like she'd just been punched in the stomach. 

Those words alone were enough to send her back. 

His fingers tugging at her red curls and her hands wrapped around his neck. Annabeth watched in horror as Percy withdrew from Rachel and murmured, "I love you." 

Annabeth felt welling up in her eyes. She furiously blinked them away. 

But her split second of distraction was enough. 

The invictus struck her across the shoulders. Fortunately, the sword was turned, and the flat of the blade sent Annabeth sprawling to the ground. 

Her head smashed against the soil and sent her into a daze. Annabeth heard shouting, but everything sounded so faraway, like she was underwater. 

A blazing ball of fire knocked the invictus flat. A huge dragon landed on its chest and started ripping its shell to shreds. 

For a second, Annabeth thought she was hallucinating. 

Then her ears started to ring, and her he's stared to clear, and Annabeth quickly realised her friends had come to her aid. 

"Annabeth!" It was Leo. He was pulling her up, kneeling down to check on her. His eyebrows knitted in concern. "Annabeth! What happened? You froze!" 

Annabeth swallowed. "I just–I got distracted." 

She glanced back at the invictus' remains. 

You'll never find Percy Jackson. 

Annabeth struggled to her feet. 

"What happened?" Leo demanded. 

Annabeth gave a "drop it" look. "Please, let's just go." 

Leo reluctantly dropped the subject. "We're the last ones here. Piper practically had to pull Reyna away, kicking and screaming." He studied her face. "Are you sure you're okay?" 

Annabeth plastered on the best fake smile she could muster. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." 

She swung a leg over Frank the dragon's back and Leo hopped on behind her. 

They took off into the sky, leaving the field of dead bodies and burning buildings behind. 

Camp Jupiter was destroyed.


	2. A Kidnapping

[ 5 years later || May ]

Hazel Levesque paced her way along the border of Camp Half-Blood atop Arion, her cavalry sword at the ready. 

Her eyes darted between the trees of the lush forest, watching, waiting for anything to appear. 

To her left, her boyfriend Frank Zhang was seated on the rock next to her, a notebook and a pen on his lap. 

He was filling in the empty boxes with numbers, and Hazel desperately wanted to ask him what he was doing, but she didn't know how to. 

That problem had come up a lot lately. Hazel didn't know how to talk to Frank anymore, and it worried her. Frank had always been her best friend, the one person she was never afraid to confide in. Now, she never knew how to start conversations, and she always worried about what she said. 

Fortunately, Frank glanced up and noticed her intent gaze on his activity book. 

"It's Sudoku," Frank explained. "They're Chinese puzzles that my grandmother used to do with me when I was a kid. She gave me this book when I left for Camp Jupiter." 

Hazel nodded in understanding. 

She tried not to think about how awkward their relationship had become that they had to resort to the topic of puzzles. 

A rustle in the trees drew her attention away from Frank's Sudoku. 

A figure clad in black emerged, a wicked sword of midnight-black hanging from his belt. 

In an instant, Hazel had her longsword in the air, Frank at her side with an arrow knocked and aimed at the intruder. 

"Woah, guys!" A familiar voice of surprise echoed around the clearing. The intruder raised his hands in fake surrender. 

A grin spread across Frank's face. He lowered his bow. 

Hazel slid off Arion's back. "Nico!" She ran forward and leaped onto her brother. 

Nico staggered back from the weight of the hug, laughing. "I missed you too, Hazel." 

Hazel blushed as she retracted her arms. "Sorry." She punched him in the arm. "I haven't seen you in months! Where the hell have you been?" 

Nico raised his eyebrows. "You kiss Frank with that mouth?" 

Hazel rolled her eyes. "Where have you been, Nico?" 

He shuffled his feet. "Around. The Underworld, checking Camp Jupiter again." 

Hazel's face fell as the celebratory mood of her brother's arrival was replaced with dismay at his news. "No news, huh?" 

Nico shook his head glumly. "If Percy had died, I would've felt it, I'm a hundred percent sure of that. But I haven't, so he's definitely alive somewhere." 

"We just don't know where," Hazel finished.

She sighed. "We haven't had much luck over here either. We've had attacks nearly every day now. Chiron's implemented border patrol because the invicta's surprise attacks are starting to impact the camp." 

"Hey," Nico waved in greeting to Frank. "Look, I'd love to talk to you guys for a bit, but I've really got to report to Chiron. And I should drop by and check on Annabeth too." He looked between them warily. "Is she any better?" 

Frank winced. "Depends on your definition of 'better'." 

"She's thrown herself into work so much," Hazel said in a low voice. "She's been that way since Percy disappeared."

Nico's expression darkened. He exchanged looks with Frank. "Well, I should go say hi then. And..." He trailed off like he didn't know how to phrase his sentence. 

"Will's in the infirmary," Hazel informed him. 

"Oh, okay," Nico said with false nonchalance. 

Hazel could tell he was excited to see his boyfriend again. 

In the next second, a few things happened at once. 

A crack of a twig was the only thing that alerted Hazel. 

She and Frank spun around simultaneously just as Nico froze in his tracks. 

A deafening roar split the air, and the army burst out from the trees.

"Reinforcements!" Hazel yelled, frantically scrambling atop Arion. She yanked the conch horn from her belt and blew into it as loudly as she could. 

The attack signal spread across camp, and chatter started rippling across the demigods. 

Hazel stood her ground and slashed at as many monsters as she could as the first wave overcame her. Arion whinnied cuss words at the monsters. 

Frank shot multiple arrows at once, but he was quickly overwhelmed. 

"Serve me!" Nico's shouts were drowned out by the thudding of paws on the ground and snarling. 

Hazel couldn't see her brother behind the monsters, but walls of obsidian rock erupted out of the ground, sending groups of monsters flying into the air and blocking their way into the camp. 

A loud battle cry drew Hazel's attention to the oncoming reinforcements. 

It was Clarisse La Rue who had been closest during the attack. She was a burly girl from the Ares cabin who scared Hazel to death. She charged the sea of monsters with her siblings at her sides. 

She pulverised the monsters in her path and cut a line into their ranks. 

Haze charged the monsters, Arion zipping through the throngs. She spotted some dracanae, a couple of hellhounds, and some Cyclopes. Nothing too out of the ordinary. 

More armed demigods were starting to arrive at the battle, and the monsters were starting to deplete. 

Then another wave of monsters emerged from behind the trees. This time, they were a mix of hissing vampire-liking creatures, and worst of all, lines upon lines of invicta. 

Hazel lopped off heads and snakes as she sped through the crowd, but fighting an invictus on a horse was no use - she'd learnt that the hard way when Arion broke his leg a few years ago. 

She stayed back and fought the easier monsters, leaving the invicta to Clarisse and her siblings. 

Nico waded into the battle with Stygian iron sword cutting arcs through their ranks, dispelling multiple monsters in one strike. 

"Archers!" Hazel recognised Chiron's yell from behind, and a volley of arrows struck down a whole group of hellhounds. 

"Go, boy!" Hazel urged Arion. She slid off his back and disappeared into the fight, letting her horse escape to wherever he usually went. 

Her longsword gave her an advantage, since the length allowed her to cut through several creatures at once. 

"Hazel!" Frank released an arrow that struck an empousai about to sink her teeth into Hazel's neck. Hazel took her down with a final blow. 

"Be careful," Nico warned her, coming up from behind. He hardly seemed tired from summoning the obsidian earlier, and Hazel wondered what he'd been doing that had made his powers so much stronger. "If you fall, you'll get trampled." 

Together, they backed up an invictus against a tree, where Nico impaled it with his sword and let the water leak out until the empty shell flattered to the ground. 

The familiar loud clanking of metal gave Hazel warning, and she hit the ground, dragging Nico with her. 

Just in time, as a column of fire seared out above their heads. Festus the dragon clanked and creaked as he walked into the clearing. 

Leo's loud whooping filled her ears. "Your Mr McShizzle is here to the rescue!" 

Nico rolled his eyes and helped Hazel up. 

"Where were you?" Hazel shouted to Leo. 

"Bunker 9," Annabeth yelled back. She was fighting beside Leo, and they must've been working on a project together.

Leo let out a cheer and threw a fireball at the nearest invictus. "Eat fire!" The invictus and the monsters beside it evaporated into dust. 

Hazel watched as Annabeth whirled through the monsters' ranks, fighting like the devil. Her bronze dagger glinted in the sunlight as she stabbed and parried. 

Hazel still found it strange when Annabeth fought with her dagger, a new one she'd taken after the Massacre at Camp Jupiter. It was similar to her first dagger that had been lost in Tartarus, but Hazel always imagined Annabeth fighting with her drakon-bone sword. 

Hazel blocked a strike from an invictus, but the force pushed her back into a tree. Three other invicta cornered her, blocking off all paths of escape. Her mind raced to find a new strategy, but there was no way out. 

A bolt of lightning streaks through the sky and zapped the invicta to dust. Hazel glanced up to see Jason flying in, golden spatha in hand, and Piper held by the waist. 

They landed a bit away from Hazel, and instantly engaged in the fight. Hazel was proud of Piper for remembering all the moves that Hazel had taught her. 

As Hazel scanned the battlefield, she had to admit that it was going pretty well so far. Their defences were holding up, and the wave of monsters were being pushed back. 

The trees rustled again, and Hazel stumbled backwards and braced herself for another line of monsters. 

Instead, a single figure dressed in a black cloak emerged. The hood hid his face, but the warrior was a human. 

Demigods seemed to pause in confusion. Hazel stopped short next to Nico. This was new. Humans had never been part of an attack. 

Then the warrior attack. 

Hazel had never seen anyone move at such blinding speed, with such smooth execution of technique. 

He slashed through the demigod ranks, cutting down everything in his path. 

Hazel watched in horror as demigods fell from stab wounds and cuts. She made to intercept, but Frank pulled her back. 

She could see his eyes flashing with worry. 

"Don't," Frank said. "We need to take care of the monsters. Others are already going to intercept. It's fine." 

He gestured towards where the blonde daughter of Athena was wading her way towards the fight. 

Hazel turned back reluctantly. She knew she wouldn't stand a chance against the warrior anyway. 

She tried not to look at Frank. 

Was that why he didn't want her to go? Was it because he thought she was too inexperienced? 

Hazel swallowed and pushed the dismal thoughts out of her mind. She lifted her sword and plunged into battle. 

^^^^

Annabeth leaped onto a hellhound and stabbed it through the maw. She nimbly slid of its back as it disintegrated. 

The warrior was still a few feet away, but barely anyone was slowing him down. 

Annabeth's gaze flickered towards camp. She couldn't let him reach. 

Her stomach growled, but her practice of ignoring it paid off. She hardly felt it anymore. 

Annabeth took down another empousai, which brought back memories, and ducked under a dracanae's blade. She was almost to the warrior. 

A grunt of pain spurred Annabeth on even more. "Jason," she breathed. 

Her friend was facing the warrior, and he was having trouble trying to block a strike. The warrior easily danced around him, deflecting blows. 

The warrior drew back his sword and ran it through Jason's gut. 

"No!" Piper's shout of anguish matched Annabeth's exact thoughts, and both of them instantly raced towards him. 

Annabeth tackled the warrior with a flying leap, and they tumbled away from Jason. Annabeth was vaguely aware of Piper rushing to Jason's side. 

She recovered quickly and scrambled to her feet, only to see the warrior already charging her. 

The warrior brought down his sword, and Annabeth caught the strike on the hilt of her dagger. She twisted her arm in an attempt to disarm him, but the warrior held fast. 

He slashed at her throat, and Annabeth parried the strike. She gritted her teeth with effort and let out a huff as she pushed the blade away. 

In her peripheral vision, Annabeth saw Piper standing above Jason, defending him from the other monsters. 

Annabeth went for the warrior's legs, but he simply jumped over her dagger. The flat of his blade whacked her across the side, sending her stumbling back. 

Annabeth jumped forward and their swords clashed. He parried, she struck, he blocked.

The fight kept going, and Annabeth wasn't sure how she was keeping up. In the back of her mind, Annabeth recognised his fighting pattern, all the moves he was using. It was all too familiar. 

Annabeth was starting to tire, and the warrior didn't seem at all fazed. His moves were flawless and he never made a mistake. 

Annabeth scrutinised him a bit more, and she noticed that his left side was less defended because his sword was on the right. She feinted to the right and landed a well-placed kick on his left side. 

The warrior stumbled to the ground. 

Annabeth rushed forward, pinning him down with her knee. The blood pounded in her ears as she tentatively lifted up his hood. 

It revealed a young man with brown hair and a hooked nose. His eyes were a void of black, without any whites. 

Annabeth dropped the hood with disappointment. Then she chided herself for doin so. 

Who had she expected it to be anyways?

Percy, her mind replied. 

Unfortunately, Annabeth's moment of distraction lent the warrior an advantage. He kicked her off him with a blow to the gut, grabbed his sword and slashed at her. 

Unprotected and caught by surprise, Annabeth felt the sting on her wrists as the sword cut across her arms. She dropped her dagger with a yelp of pain, and the warrior knocked her flat again. 

He lifted the sword over her, and Annabeth prepared herself to be struck down. 

Instead, the warrior hesitated. Then he spun on his heel and sprinted towards Jason. 

"No!" Annabeth shouted. She'd forgotten all about Jason. She scrambled for her dagger, but it was too late. 

The warrior approached Piper, who was standing over Jason's body with a determined look on her face. 

The warrior struck at her and parried her defending blow, disarming her instantly. 

He bashed the hilt of his sword against her head, and Piper's limp body collapsed into his arms. 

By the time Annabeth realises what was happening, the warrior had already opened a portal. He sprinted through with Piper in his arms, an injured and pale Jason unable to do anything. 

Annabeth went slack as the portal closed. 

The warrior was gone, as was Piper. 

She should've done more. If she'd been a better fighter, she could've saved her. 

You can't do anything, Annabeth told herself miserably. Why couldn't you be better? More perfect?

Annabeth felt something wet against her knee, and she looked down to see blood from the cuts on her wrist oozing out. The sight of so much of her own blood made her dizzy, and she felt her mind go into a daze. 

Annabeth's head hit the ground. 

Piper was gone. Hazel was shouting her name and running over to her. The monsters were retreating back into the forest, disappearing behind the trees. 

Annabeth's eyelids fluttered close. Her world darkened.


	3. The Prophecy

Annabeth opened her eyes and the infirmary came into view. She recognised the smell and the white walls from being in there often enough. 

She shifted slowly, feeling herself on a comfortable mattress. To her right, Jason was slumbering peacefully, his face still a worrisome shade of white and purple. 

Annabeth glanced to her left, where Connor Stoll was lying on the bed, eyes closed and unmoving. Travis stood next to his bed, catching his hand with tears brimming in his eyes. 

Annabeth struggled to get up. The cuts on her wrists were already sealed up, probably from ambrosia or nectar. She spotted the golden drink on her bedside table and took a quick sip. Instantly, she felt a million times better. 

Annabeth sighed as the previous day flooded back into her mind. 

Piper had been kidnapped. Jason had been stabbed right through his gut. She didn't know how her other friends were doing, but Annabeth made a silent prayer. 

"You okay?" Annabeth asked Travis in a low voice.

He glanced up at her with red-rimmed eyes. He didn't reply. 

"How is he?" Annabeth glanced at Connor. "What happened. 

"The cloaked guy got to him," Travis said miserably. "I knew I should've held him back. I'm supposed to protect him. He's my little brother." His voice cracked at the last word. 

Annabeth wished she could hug Travis. He was one of her oldest friends, and they'd known each other practically since she arrived at camp. "It'll be fine." She wished she could give him a more convincing arguement. 

"Yeah. He'll be fine." Travis sounded like he was trying to reassure himself. 

The infirmary door opened and Will Solace stride in, clipboard in hand and medical coat donned, like a real doctor. "Hey, Annabeth." 

He walked up to Travis and whispered something to him. 

Annabeth caught some words in their conversation. "...sleep...awake all night..." 

Travis started to protest, when Will tapped his clipboard. "Doctor's orders." 

Travis reluctantly left after a few minutes, forcing Will to promise to send word if anything changed with Connor. 

"Sorry about that," Will told Annabeth. "At least you're awake now." 

She nodded. "I feel great." 

Will raised an eyebrow. "Really? You passed out from a loss of blood." 

"I feel great," Annabeth repeated. 

Will walked closer to her and seemed to be having officially in pushing out his words. "Annabeth, while I was healing you, I noticed...have you been eating well?" 

Annabeth frowned. "Of course, why would you ask me that?" 

"I mean, you're so close to being malnutritioned that it's worrying, Annabeth. From what I've seen, it looks like you're starving." 

Annabeth snorted. "Yeah, right. Why would I starve myself?" 

Will shifted his weight uncomfortably. "See, there's this mortal condition—"

"Hey, Will," Nico greeted as he walked in. He kissed his boyfriend and then turned to Annabeth. "Oh, you're awake. Just in time. Chiron's calling a meeting of head counsellors. Are you okay to go?" 

"Yes," Annabeth said immediately, sliding out of her bed. Will looked like he wanted to protest, but Annabeth shot him a look. "I'm fine," she insisted. 

After Will checked up on Jason, the three of them made their way towards the Big House. 

As usual, head counsellors of all the Greek cabins sat there. For the Romans, their senators and praetors were the representatives. 

Chiron and Rachel were seated at the front of the circle. 

"Annabeth, my dear," Chiron welcomed. "Will and Nico. Please, take a seat." 

When everyone was present, Chiron began. "As most of you probably saw from yesterday's battle, a demigod was taken." 

The mood in the room darkened. 

"Piper McLean, one of our bravest demigods, has been kidnapped," Chiron said gravely. 

"A quest!" Lacy demanded. She was the replacement head counsellor for Aphrodite. "We need a quest!" 

Murmurs of agreement spread across the room, except with Clarisse, who remained silent and unmoving. Her eyes were bloodshot and Annabeth had never seen her so dismal. 

"What happened?" Annabeth whispered to Nico. 

He followed her gaze to Clarisse. "Chris...Chris was one of the casualties." 

Annabeth felt sick to her stomach. Chris Rodriguez, whom she'd known for nearly ten years now. Clarisse and he had been planning to get married soon. Annabeth tried not to think about that. 

So many of her friends were gone. Chris was dead, and Connor was still hanging in the balance. Annabeth hadn't even heard the full death toll yet. 

"Of course, we can implement a quest," Chiron said. "But for that, we need a prophecy." 

All eyes turned to Rachel, who had been fiddling with a paintbrush. She quickly hid it. 

No prophecies had been given in the last five years since the second Great Prophecy. Apparently, Python was blocking the Cave of Delphi, and hence, Rachel was unable to summon its power. 

In the first year of Percy's disappearance, everyone had asked for prophecies, but none were given. And without a prophecy, there could be no quest. Without a quest, they couldn't rescue Percy. It was a giant loop. 

"The people who took Piper," Will spoke up. "Is there any chance that they could be the same people who took Percy?" 

All eyes now swivelled to Annabeth, who tried her best to ignore the looks she received. The search for Percy Jackson was still ongoing. No one had given up on him, even with no new leads in half a decade. 

Nico nodded. "I agree with Will. The only people who would take Percy is our enemies. They're clearly the invicta. We just don't know who the invicta are working for." 

Chiron paused thoughtfully. "I suppose that is a plausible theory. At first, we thought the monsters were simply attacking Camp Jupiter, but I think we can agree that such large-scale, organised attacks can only be the work of someone bigger." 

"They would have to be able to control monsters easily," Annabeth reasoned. She glanced at Nico. "Of course, I didn't mean Hades. We haven't heard from the gods since Percy disappeared, so I don't think it could be any of them." 

"But the quest," Lacy said, pushing them back on course. "We should at least try asking for a prophecy. Rachel, do you feel any different?" 

Rachel shrugged. "Not really. But I never felt the Oracle before either." 

"There's no harm in asking," Chiron sighed. "Who shall lead this quest?" 

Everyone turned to look at Annabeth. There was no question that it should be her. Reyna gave her an encouraging look. 

Annabeth didn't know what to do. On one hand, this could be their chance to find Percy and Piper. But leading a quest to save her ex-boyfriend who cheated on her? 

Annabeth pushed that out of her head. She had to do what was best for the camp. Rescuing Percy and Piper was their best chance at beating whoever led the monsters. And finding Piper was definitely a must. 

Annabeth cautiously approached Rachel. "Oh, blessed Oracle, how do I find Percy Jackson and Piper McLean?" 

Silence filled the room.

Rachel sighed. "I'm sorry. I guess nothing changed—"

She suddenly cut herself off as her pupils started to light up green. 

Annabeth stumbled back in surprise.

Green smoke started to pour out of Rachel's mouth. 

"To the village at the core, five must go,   
Face their past and fight new foes.   
The key to the sky lies with the day,   
the blade to raise with memory.   
Power attained with singing praise,   
one side will crumble, one side will raze."

Rachel slumped over once the prophecy finished, and crashed into the table. Chiron caught her. 

Silence filled the room again. But it wasn't in anticipation this time.

"A quest," Chiron said weakly. "For the daughter of Athena. Who are your quest members?" 

Annabeth looked around the room. She knew exactly who she wanted on this quest. "The quest wants five of us. Percy and Piper are gone. That's two of the Seven, that can't be a coincidence." 

The other counsellors seemed to agree. No one else seemed to want their prophecy of death. 

"Will you come with me?" Annabeth asked her friends. She looked from Leo, to Frank. 

A grin spread across Leo's face. "Thought you'd never ask." 

Frank nodded too, the hint of a smile on his face. "Of course. We wouldn't let you go alone." 

Annabeth turned to Chiron. "All I need is to ask Hazel. And if Jason is in better condition, then him too." 

Chiron cleared his throat. "Well, then that's settled. The quest will find our missing heroes. Meanwhile, we must shore up our defences to hold any incoming attacks..." 

The rest of he meeting dragged on for Annabeth. She was their main strategist, so organising camps defences was part of her job. But all she could think about what the prophecy, which she kept repeating in her head, over and over. 

'To the village at the core', what did that mean? Something tugged at the back of Annabeth's mind when she'd heard that line, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. 

When the meeting finally ended, Annabeth hurried outside to get fresh air. 

Hazel was standing outside, waiting impatiently for them. She instantly rushed to Annabeth for news. 

Annabeth filled her in on the prophecy and the quest. Hazel accepted without hesitation and hugged her. 

Annabeth informed them that Chiron wanted a meeting of the quest members at the Big House at 3 o'clock. They headed off to find Jason. 

He was sitting in his infirmary bed, awake, but still pale and sickly. 

"How're you?" Annabeth asked him. 

Jason shrugged. "I mean, I just got impaled, so I think pretty good." 

They gathered around his bed and filled him in on everything. 

"Of course, of course, I'll go," Jason agreed immediately. "There's no way I'm letting you guys rescue Piper and Percy without me."

"I can't believe this," Hazel said quietly. "I mean, it's been five years, and now we finally have a lead on him. What if it turns out to be nothing?" 

They exchanged looks. 

"At least we'll have tried," Frank said. 

"This is giving me such déjà vu," Leo said with a small grin. "The five of us on a quest to rescue our missing friends? It can't get better than that." 

"This prophecy is similar to the first Great Prophecy," Annabeth told them. "'Raze' was in it too. Hopefully this'll end the same way as the second Titan war." 

"I've been thinking," Jason said. "It's awfully convenient that Rachel can suddenly prophesies again. Am I overthinking it?" 

Annabeth shook her head. "No, I had similar thoughts. Whoever we're up may have removed Python so that we could have a quest, but I don't know why. My only guess is that they're luring is into a trap."

"But we have to rescue them," Hazel protested. 

Annabeth nodded. "Exactly. So it doesn't matter why this has happened, but we have to go on the quest anyway. I suggest we just figure it out along the way." 

"Leo-style," Leo said. "So any ideas where to start?" 

"I was looking into Piper's knife earlier - Katoptris," Jason said, picking up the dagger from his bedside. "And it showed me this." 

He slid them a piece of paper with a sketch on it. 

Annabeth examined it closely. Jason's drawing was practically indiscernible, but she managed to see a general picture. There was a winding cobblestone path lined with houses. 

"I recognise the architecture of the houses," Annabeth explained. "They're Greek. Probably from around 400 B.C." 

"You got that from that?" Leo muttered incredulously. 

"Why is the sky shaded black?" Annabeth asked. 

"Oh, that," Jason started. "I didn't know how to draw that part. The village just doesn't have a sky. It's pitch black, and only the torches illuminate it." 

Annabeth frowned and pulled the drawing closer. "Doesn't have a sky? That sounds familiar." 

Jason picked up Katoptris and showed it to his friends. "Maybe it'll show us again?" 

They waited in silence, and the face of the blade changed. 

However, the village didn't appear. 

A mirage of Piper cowering in the corner with shackles holding her down, and Percy crouching in the middle of the room, bloodied and bruised. His right cheek was bleeding and his knuckles were split open. 

Annabeth sucked in a breath. She felt like she'd just been hit by a very large bat. 

The mirage dissipated as quickly as it had appeared. 

"It's them," Frank confirmed. "It's definitely Piper and Percy." 

"They've got to be at the village," Hazel agreed. She wouldn't meet Frank's eyes, and Annabeth made a mental note to ask Hazel about that later. 

"Where's the village?" Leo asked. 

Annabeth sighed, "We don't know." 

Leo held out a hand. "Okay, okay, let's think this through. What do we know about the village?" 

"It's 'at the core', whatever that means," Hazel pointed out. 

"It's Ancient Greek," Jason added. 

Leo nodded. "And it doesn't have a sky." 

Annabeth suddenly snapped her fingers. "I've got it!" She turned to her friends. "Αγάθη; Agatha. It was a city in Ancient Greece. They were a prosperous city, filled with the best mathematicians, politicians, and soldiers. It was literally their motto to be the best at everything. είμαστε οι καλύτεροι." 

Leo grinned. "Done, we've got a quest location." 

"Okay, so we just go to Agatha?" Frank asked. 

Annabeth winced. "It's not that easy. The myth goes that Agatha's citizens got so arrogant that they tested even the gods. Of course, one of them got angry - Hades. He swallowed Agatha into the earth, and the village was never seen again. It was supposedly embedded somewhere in the ground, that's why they called it 'χωρίς ουρανό'. The village with no sky." 

"So by 'core'," Frank reasoned. "The prophecy literally means the core. Like, of the Earth." 

Annabeth bit her lip. "Yeah." 

"Is that even physically possible?" Leo frowned. "Like, the Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Won't we just combust?" 

Annabeth shrugged. "Maybe the prophecy doesn't literally mean 'the core'. Maybe it just means underground." 

"Okay, so Agatha is our first stop on this quest," Leo said. "Where is Agatha?" 

"It's where Thessaloniki is today," Annabeth explained. "That's in north-eastern Greece." 

"Greece?" Leo seemed to be running thoughts for a moment. "Yeah, yeah, I can get us there in under 3 weeks." 

Annabeth glanced at him in surprise. "Really? You want to use it?" 

Jason looked between them like he was finally realising they knew something he didn't. "What are you talking about?" 

A wide grin started to spread across Leo's face. 

"What is it?" Hazel repeated. 

Annabeth laughed. "No, it's just that Leo and I have been working on a project for the last few years. It's the perfect mode of transport for our quest." 

"No way," Frank breathed as he started to realise. "You fixed it?" 

"Fixed it, rebuilt it," Leo said dismissively. "Tomato, tom-ah-to." 

Jason raised a hand. "Um, I'm still confused." 

Annabeth turned to him. Her eyes sparkled. "The Argo II. We're taking the Argo II."


	4. The Other Side

Piper couldn't see anything. 

She guessed that she'd regained consciousness around an hour ago, but the blindfold around her eyes and the ropes binding her hands and feet restricted her from checking her surroundings. 

Someone was dragging her by a rope around her hands, and she staggered to follow them. Piper supposed it had to be the warrior who had kidnapped her. 

She wished she'd taken those martial arts classes Coach Hedge offered her. Maybe she could've busted out some jujitsu moves and taken the warrior down. Katoptris was still back at camp, lying next to a gravely injured Jason. 

Jason. 

Living without Jason? Especially when she was...

Piper pushed him out of her mind. She couldn't think about him right now - that would only make her despair. 

Suddenly, she felt the marching stop, and the warrior shoved her forward. Piper heard the click of a door shut behind her. 

Was he going to torture her? Kill her? 

Piper could feel her heart starting to palpitate more quickly as she went through the horrifying plausible scenarios in her mind. 

The blindfold was pulled off her head, and Piper blinked to adjust to the darkness of the room. 

A torch on the wall was the lone illumination and it cast a dim glow over the stone floor. 

Piper squinted to make out the figure in front of her. It was a man, his arms chained to the wall and dried blood sticking to the ground around him. 

As she slowly started to make out more of his features, Piper realised who he was and her vision tunnelled. 

She stumbled forward and fell to her knees in front of him. "Percy!" 

He looked up, his expression one of absolute astonishment. "P-Piper?" His voice was hoarse, as if he'd been deprived of water for a long time. 

She threw her arms around him and hugged him as tightly as she could. Tears burned at the back of her eyes as she buried her head into the crook of his neck. 

Piper pulled away reluctantly and glared at him. "F-five years, Jackson," Piper trembled angrily. "I'm going to kill you." 

Percy's shock seemed to be ebbing away. "I missed you too, Pipes." 

The door to the cell slammed open, sending a jolt of surprise through Piper. She glanced over her shoulder to see a man striding in. 

He wore celestial bronze armour with words and face sketched into the breastplate. A large, terrifying sword was sheathed at his hip. 

But his most prominent feature was the air that he carried around. It was an air of superiority, as if he knew he was stronger than them and showed it. It was an air of arrogance, of evil, of darkness. 

Piper saw Percy shuffle forwards discreetly as if to protect her. His eyes flashed dangerously. "Tartarus, what do you want?" 

Piper's eyes widened as she glanced between them. 

Tartarus? Annabeth had confided in her aboard the Argo II about fighting the embodiment of the pit. Apparently it was the only time Percy had ever dropped his sword during battle. 

"I have brought you a little...motivation," Tartarus said smugly, lacing around the room. "Your love, your Wise Girl, or whatever stupid nickname you call her. I present to you, Annabeth Chase." 

Piper froze. It took all her free will to keep herself from going Annabeth Chase? Psh! 

Tartarus must have mistook her for Annabeth, which was a surprise since he had fought her before. That was the advantage of fighting all-knowing eternal beings; they had terrible short-term memory. 

"A-Annabeth," Percy sounded surprised too. "Uh, right, of course." 

"Phillip, dismissed," Tartarus told the warrior, who was still standing at attention. "You have done well." He turned back to the two demigods. "Perseus Jackson, I am told you will do anything for this girl. Even kill." 

The word hung in the air. But Percy didn't deny it. 

"Well, you have been...uncooperative in training our new warriors." Tartarus pursed his lips. "But perhaps now, with this girl's life on the line, you might be more attentive to your job." 

Tartarus crouched down so that he was at Piper's ear. She shivered at his closeness and tried her best not to gag. 

"Maybe I'll start with a finger or two? Or a foot?" Tartarus mused. 

"Okay, okay!" Percy shouted. He was breathing heavily. He looked up at Tartarus shakily. "I-I'll do it." 

Tartarus smirked triumphantly. 

"Will you just let me speak to her?" Percy pleaded. "Alone," he added. 

Piper felt her heart clench. Maybe he had a plan of escape. 

Tartarus looked between them suspiciously, like he was trying to gauge their plan. When he seemed to dismiss it, he heard towards the exit door. "You have one minute. No funny business." 

When the door slammed shut, Piper scrambled to face Percy. "Oh my gods, what the Hades happened to you?" 

"First," Perry interjected insistently. "Where's Annabeth? Is she safe? Is she okay? Oh gods, is she okay?" 

Piper reached her hands as if to steady him. "Yes, yes, she's back at Camp Half-Blood." Piper paused. "But she's...different." 

Percy's eyebrows furrowed in worry. "Different? How? Why?" 

"Since you disappeared," Piper explained. "She's been kind of distant. I hardly ever see her anymore, and even then, she's always working on blueprints, or on some other project." 

She regretted telling Percy that. He looked so pained that she wanted to hug him again. 

"It's my fault," he said despairingly. "If I hadn't left-"

"Percy, you say that like you chose to leave. You were kidnapped," Piper reminded him. "This was in no way your fault at all. But please, if you want to get back to Annabeth, you need to tell me what's happened to you in the last five years." 

Percy shook his head. "I know as much as you do. Tartarus kidnapped me five years ago, and I've been here ever since. He hasn't killed me yet, but only because I've been training these new humanoids he's created. They're mortals, but he did something to them, and now they have superhuman strength and speed. He said he'd kill me if I didn't follow his orders, but I didn't cooperate, so he brought you here."

Piper sighed in dismay. "Is there any way out?" 

Percy shook his head. "I've tried everything. There's a whole body of water near us, but it's too far away for me to control it, and I can barely summon a water droplet right now." 

"We're going to get out of this," Piper promised him. Something about Percy bothered her. He'd always had a streak of defiance, but now, it was kind of extinguished. "The others will find us, I'm sure of it. They're probably on their way to rescue us right now." 

Percy frowned. "Piper, they haven't found me for five years. What makes you think they'll be able to now?" 

"We need to have hope, Percy," Piper whispered. "Without hope, we don't have anything else." Her hands instinctively went to her stomach. "And I have to hope. Not just for myself." 

Percy took in her words and stared at her for a second. "Wait a second. Are you-"

The door slammed opened, marking the end of their time together. Percy gaped openly, unable to control his shock. 

"Time's up," Tartarus declared. 

"Please, just a few more seconds!" Percy begged. 

Tartarus reluctantly stepped back and me. them speak. 

Percy pulled Piper closer to him. "You're pregnant?" 

She swallowed. "I-It was an accident." 

Percy give her look that said "you don't say!" 

"I haven't told Jason," Piper rushed. Tartarus was glancing at them expectantly. "Please, just-I have to get out of here. I'm not going to give up, I can't." 

Percy stared at her again. He seemed to be contemplating something. "I'll figure something out," he said at last. "Just be careful."

Tartarus yanked Piper to her feet and shoved her towards the door. He started approach Percy. 

She shot Percy one last look before the door closed in front of her, and she was separated from him again. 

"You're coming with me." 

Piper turned around to see a cloaked warrior - she couldn't tell if he was the same one from before - standing beside her. 

He bound her wrists and dragged her off in another direction. 

Piper threw a glance back helplessly. 

Good luck, Percy, she wished him. He was going to need it.

^^^^

"I present to you," Leo announced. "The new and improved Argo II!" 

He pulled the giant cloth off of the hidden structure, revealing the familiar ship. 

"Ooh"s and "ah"s echoed around the forest. The campers starting whispering amongst themselves. 

The hull was shining with newly polished wooden boards, and beautifully weaved sails fluttered from the mast. 

Annabeth did the sails. They were white, embroidered with depictions of their previous battles. 

Leo recognised the battle against Gaia, the quest for the Mark of Athena and some of their other adventures on the Argo II, but there were some that he didn't remember. 

One of them was an island with a giant Cylcops, and four people facing him off. The Golden Fleece glittered on one of the trees. 

"This is seriously bringing back memories," Frank said, staring at the ship. 

Hazel was turning a bit green. "Yeah, some bad ones too." She clearly hadn't gotten over her seasickness in the past few years. 

"All aboard!" Leo yelled. "Get settled in, mateys!" 

"Drop the pirate speak," Annabeth warned. 

Leo couldn't help but think how that would've been Piper's line. It sent a pang through his heart. 

The quest members turned back to hug their friends. 

Leo turned to Calypso, who was standing to the side with her arms crossed. 

"Hey, Sunshine," he told her gently. 

Her scowl broke into a more relaxed expression. Leo could tell she was blinking back tears. 

"Are you going to miss me?" he teased her. 

Calypso bit her lip. "Of course not. It'll be a nice break." 

Leo kissed her. "I'm sorry. I know, we've just gotten back safely, but I promise I'll come back to you." 

Calypso shook her head. "Leo, don't make promises you can't keep." 

"I will come back to you," Leo repeated. 

Calypso didn't say anything. 

Leo sighed and turned around towards the ship. 

"Wait!" Calypso pulled him back and pressed her lips to his. 

Leo wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close. He didn't want to leave her. She made him happy, made him feel like he belonged no matter where he was. She was his anchor. 

"I love you," she murmured before burying her face into the crook of his neck. 

They reluctantly withdrew. 

Leo tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and studied her face. He wanted to remember every curve of her cheekbones, the way her almond eyes sparkled in the sunlight, the way the corners of her lips turned up when she was amused. "I love you too." 

She gave his hand a last squeeze before pushing him towards the ship. "Well, duty calls." 

Leo nodded with a small smile. 

He shouldered his rucksack and walked up the ship. 

He didn't look back.


	5. The Sea of Monsters

Frank stood at the bow of the ship and scanned the oceans. 

Nothing but the peaceful ripple of waves and sun on the horizon. 

He sighed in a mix of disappointment and relief. 

It had been a week on the Argo II, and not a single monster attack. 

Frank knew they should be praising the gods for their luck, but all of them were uneasy, since a group as large as them should be attracting monsters by the ton. 

Annabeth had told him the other day that she felt it was the "calm before the storm". Frank couldn't help but agree. 

Apart from that, tensions on the ship were high. 

Annabeth wore holes into the floorboards with her daily pacing. She showed up for meals but never ate, and was always devising some kind of strategy or plan. 

Leo missed Calypso so badly that even Frank could tell. He was glum, and without the crew's go-to jester, spirits were pretty much down in the dumps. 

Jason was still recovering from his stab wound, which was now a nasty purplish colour. A large bandage was wrapped around his torso and held it together, but Jason could barely walk or move without agonising pain. He was taking ambrosia and nectar as quickly as he could without combusting, but even godly food could only do so much. 

And worst of all, Hazel was the most distant Frank had ever seen her. Even the first time they had met, Hazel was friendly and tried to get him to open up. 

Nowadays, Frank felt like he hardly ever spoke to her. The only time they ever spoke was during battles or about the quest. Frank missed having her to confide in. She was his best friend. 

And in addition to all this drama, Frank was worried sick about Percy and Piper. In the knife's vision, Piper hadn't looked her best. And seeing Percy, even battered and bruised, was a like jolt back to reality for Frank. 

They were actually going to find him this time. After all the searching and hopeless times, they were finally going to find him. Frank still couldn't believe it at times. 

He wondered how things would go with Percy. Would five years apart be too much for them? What if Percy wasn't the same? 

Frank was staring blankly at the water that he didn't even notice when the currents started to form little whirlpools around the boat. 

He blinked himself out of the daze and took a step back in surprise. "Um, Leo?" 

The son of Hephaestus looked up from fiddling with Festus' tail. "Hm?" 

Frank pointed to the water weakly. "Is that normal?" 

Leo hurried to join him and peered over the bow just as the whirlpool spat out a hurtling figure that somersaulted and landed on the deck with a loud thump. 

"Warrior! Warrior!" Leo hollered, spinning around and punching the warrior in the jaw. 

The warrior staggered back but retaliated within split seconds. He whipped out his sword and jabbed at Leo, who jumped out of the way with a yelp. 

Frank drew his sword as the whirlpools catapulted more warriors onboard. He parried two blades at once and ducked between them. 

One-to-one combat wasn't really his strength. Frank didn't want to risk getting too close to a warrior who could injure Jason and Annabeth, two of the best fighters he knew. 

Frank caught a glimpse of Annabeth pounding up the stairs and doing a double take when she saw the battle on deck. A warrior leaped onto her and slashed at her shoulders. 

He didn't have time to see how she was doing because he promptly morphed into a large bear, personally, Frank's favourite transformation. His burliness and clumsiness became a strength, and he quickly barrelled headfirst into a warrior, knocking him off the ship and into the water with a loud splash. 

Frank roared and swiped his paws at the warriors next to him, knocking them to the ground and flipping some of the over the railing. 

Nevertheless, the warriors' numbers were increasing by the second, and nearly a dozen of them were starting to litter the deck. Festus creaked and roasted a whole line of warriors, but more simply took their place. 

"We can't beat them!" Annabeth yelled. She disarmed a warrior and pushed him overboard. "Leo, change course!" 

Leo was bounding across the deck, casually throwing out grenades and small bombs like they were pieces of candy. "Where to?" 

"The Bermuda Triangle!" she shouted back. 

Frank saw Leo visibly pale and he transformed back into a human. "What's wrong with the Bermuda Triangle?" 

"Planes disappearing," Hazel muttered between gritted teeth as she parried. a strike away. "It's a mortal belief that paranormal activity endangers humans there." 

Frank frowned. "But that's just a superstition." 

Annabeth snorted. "You'll see. Leo, it's our only choice." 

Leo grimaced, but he followed her instructions. "Setting course to our deaths, but okay." He started flipping switches and turning the wheel. 

Frank grew into a bear again and bounded towards him, knocking incoming warriors away from his friends. 

"Guys, what in Pluto is going on?" Jason emerged from the stairwell, holding his spatha in his hand. His eyes widened as he took in the scene. 

"Jason, what are you doing?" Hazel demanded. "Get downstairs! You're injured, you'll just get yourself killed!" 

Jason ignored her and eased into the fight, stubbornly challenging the nearest warrior. 

Hazel groaned in exasperation, but started squeezing to get to him. 

"Leo, how much longer?" Annabeth shouted desperately. She was starting to be overwhelmed. Three warriors had backed her into the stern of the ship and were starting to push her into the railing. 

"We should be getting there," Leo called back. "Three, two—"

The ship seemed to cross an invisible boundary. 

Nothing seemed to be any different; the water still rippled, the sky was still blue. But Frank felt like the air had grown colder. 

He confirmed that he wasn't crazy when Annabeth shivered next to him. 

As if on cue, the warriors leaped off the deck with graceful poise and dove into the waters, disappearing below the murky surface. 

Frank raced to the ship's side, transforming as he ran, and glanced over the edge. They were gone, not a single trace of the warriors left behind. 

Jason winced and hobbled towards Annabeth. "How did you know that would work?" 

She swallowed. "They were shot out of the water. The only people who can control the waters are Poseidon, Oceanus, and Pontus. It can't be Poseidon, Oceanus lost to us once - he wouldn't dare try again, so it had to be Pontus." 

"Wait," Leo interrupted, holding up his hands in a "stop" sign. "Who's Pontus?" 

"Primordial of the sea," Jason explained. "I remember reading myths about him. He ruled the oceans before Oceanus, and before Poseidon. He and Tartarus both had a thing with Gaia, but Ouranos scared them both away. According to the myths, Pontus just stays at the bottom of the sea in peace." 

"Guess he decided to come out of hiding," Hazel said in dismay. 

"What does Pontus have to do with the Bermuda Triangle?" Frank asked, still confused. 

"Even Pontus no power here," Annabeth said gravely. 

Frank glanced at his friends like they knew something he didn't. "Where exactly is here?" 

Jason sighed. "The Sea of Monsters."

"This is the last place a nice ship like this should be," Leo accused. 

Annabeth winced apologetically. "Sorry, it was the only way I could think of surviving." 

"Okay, so the entrance to the Sea of Monsters is the same in pretty much every myth," Jason recalled. "Charybdis and her sister Scylla guard it, so we have to get past them." 

"You and Percy went into the Sea of Monsters before, didn't you?" Hazel asked Annabeth. "How did you get past them?"

Frank swore he saw Annabeth flinch at Percy's name, but he dismissed it. 

"Heavy cannons, and even then, our ship was still destroyed, nearly killing Percy's brother," Annabeth told her. 

"I'd take Scylla over Charybdis," Leo said decidedly. "If we all go belowdeck, we pass unharmed. Charybdis could completely destroy the Argo II." 

"Scylla would just snatch the entire ship up," Annabeth pointed out. "With Charybdis, we could just take to the skies and fly straight over her." 

Leo thought for a moment. "Fly? Isn't that, like, cheating?" 

Hazel raised an eyebrow. 

Leo shrugged. "I mean, I'm totally for cheating. That's my life motto. But flying over the entrance to the Sea of Monsters feels...wrong."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Jason agreed. "And if anything goes wrong, I don't know how long I can use my powers for before I pass out." 

"It's worth a shot," Annabeth said decidedly. "There's pretty much no other option." 

Frank sighed. "Okay, so that's done. We get past Charybdis, what about Scylla? She can still eat us in the sky?" 

"You're an archer, Frank," Annabeth said in a matter-of-fact tone. "You and Leo will hang off the side of the ship and shoot at her. Arrows and fire should hold her off until we're safely past." 

At the mention of archery, Frank's bow and quiver shimmered into appearance on his back. It was the only magic item that he had, so Frank treasured it quite a fair bit. 

"Okay, so we can get in, but how do we get out?" Frank asked. "We've used a week already, and now we have to detour to Bermuda. We'll never make it to Thessa-what's-its-name by next week." 

"I can get us there by next Thursday," Leo told him. "But that's the best case scenario, assuming no monster attacks or bad luck, both of which we always, always have." 

"We'll worry about that another time," Annabeth told them. She pointed ahead, to a black spot that stood out against the cerulean waves. "Right now, we have bigger problems." 

Leo started shifting the ship to flight mode, and they took off, sailing straight over Charybdis. 

He tied ropes around his and Frank's waists and they climbed down the side of the ship. 

"Hopefully Leo's knots are good," Annabeth called down to them. "Though you guys falling to your deaths would be pretty funny." 

"That's not helping!" Frank yelled back. 

Frank stared down at Charybdis and he wished he had a camera. It was kind of crazy to think that he was in all the same places that were in myths. Jason - the first one - and Odysseus and come through here, and Frank, just some lucky demigod, was sailing through the same passage past heroes took. 

Then Frank remembered how they'd fall died horrible deaths. He tried not to think about that. 

"See?" Frank heard Hazel say, probably to Leo. Charybdis was disappearing under them. "It's perfectly fine."

Of course, the second she said that, Scylla appeared on a cliffside. She was looking downwards, searching for passing victims, but she didn't think to look up. 

Her multiple heads seemed to simultaneously tilt in confusion, as if wondering why their victims were nowhere to be found. 

Frank knocked an arrow and aimed for between the first head's two eyes. 

Just as he was about to release, a low growl gave him a shock. 

Frank let go off his arrow in surprise, and it went off course, alerting Scylla to their presence. Her heads tilted upwards and caught sight of Frank and Leo. 

They snarled and started snapping at them. Leo seared a few off with a fireball. 

"What was that?" Leo shouted to Frank over the wind, referring to the growling. "What's going on? I can't see anything!" 

Frank peered round the side of the boat and his eyes widened at the sight. 

There was an enormous dinosaur-like monster, easily over a hundred feet tall, with long spikes arranged down its back like a mane, and large green eyes narrowed at their ship. Its long claws swiped at them, grazing the ship and damaging the wood. 

"It's Godzilla!" Frank yelped. 

Festus creaked some things that Frank didn't understand, but Leo paled when he heard. 

"The monsters destroying the hull and the stabilisers," Leo hurriedly told him. "If we don't get it away soon, we're going to fall out of the sky and into Charybdis!"

As if to confirm his point, the ship made a sudden dip and lost altitude, now flying closer to Scylla than before. 

Charybdis spat out a wave, sending everything within a fifty-metre radius of her shooting through the water. 

"Watch out!" Frank yelled, shoving Leo out of the way as one of Scylla's heads snapped at where his legs had been before. 

But because of their ropes, Leo flew back and slammed into Frank in the side, such that they bounced back against each other like a game of paddle ball. 

"Ouch!" Leo held his arm in pain as he and Frank slowly came to a stop. 

Frank shot an arrow at one of Scylla's heads, impaling it through. He shot another one through the eye, and a third one in the maw when it opened its jaws. 

He could hear shouting on the deck, and Frank knew he had to help them. They were almost past Scylla, if thy could just hold out for a few more seconds...

The Argo II made another dangerous lurch, and Frank dangled terrifyingly close to Scylla's seventh head. He knocked it out of the way with his bow in alarm and Leo quickly burnt it off with fire. 

Leo let out a shrill whistle, and Festus promptly swooped down. He blew a column of flames at Scylla, easily burning the monster into a pile of ashes, before changing direction and grabbing Frank and Leo off their ropes. 

Festus landed on the deck with a loud crunch as he broke brought the floorboards. He deposited Frank and Leo before bounding back off the side of the ship. 

^^^^

Out of the corner of her eye, Annabeth saw Frank and Leo sprawled on the deck. Festus took off into the air again, and he blew flames at Godzilla. 

For some reason, this was an underwater-Godzilla that just so happened to be fireproof, since Festus' flames seemed to do nothing but annoy it. 

Godzilla roared and punched a hole into the hull, further damaging the already-torn ship. 

Annabeth sported Jason standing at the stern with his eyes closed and arms out as if for balance, and she quickly realised that he was the only reason they were still in the air. 

"Land us! If we fall out of the air now, we'll smash into a billion pieces!" Annabeth shouted at Leo. There was no way Jason could hold out for long enough in his current state. 

He was already at the ship's dashboard, furiously rushing through the controls. "I'm trying to keep us alive! If we land, we'll sink faster than the Titanic!" 

A white blur zipped around the sea monster, and Annabeth recognised it as Hazel and Arion. They were attacking Godzilla faster than it could react, but her strikes were close to useless. 

Frank has turned into a dragon and was clawing at the monster's scales. 

Annabeth wished she could do more, but she knew she would only slow down the others. She had zero powers of her own, and a knife was no good against a monster the size of a plane. 

Annabeth parried away the creature's class whenever they came close to the deck, but she was getting tired. She had to pause to regain her breath.

She shook the dizziness out of her head. How could she be getting tired so easily? She'd always had a high stamina. 

Annabeth doubles over as her vision flickered and black spots danced before her eyes. She felt a piercing pain in her stomach. 

"Annabeth!" She heard Leo call out in alarm. 

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" Annabeth yelled through gritted teeth. She gripped the railing so hard her knuckles turned white, but she managed to push through the pain and stay on her feet. 

Annabeth ignored it and slashed at another claw. 

Godzilla let out a deafening roar. 

Annabeth cringed and instinctively covered her ears. Her momentary distraction allowed the creature to rear its fist back and punched a hole straight through the ship's hull. 

Leo let out a pained yell. "My ship!" 

The Argo II start to freak and wobble. At the stern, Jason stumbled and struggled to remain standing. His knees were shaking with the effort. 

Annabeth scrambled to her feet, cursing inwardly. How could she have been so stupid? Her head was throbbing so much she could barely think. 

Annabeth's gaze caught on the hooked metal lying by Jason's feet at the front of the ship, and her mental lightbulb lit up. 

"The anchor!" Annabeth shouted. "Did you ever see that really old movie? Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back!" 

"Thirty-seven times," Frank called back. He was momentarily a human, regaining his energy on the deck. "But how's that important right now?" 

Annabeth was already kneeling by Jason's feet, gathering the anchor and its chain in her arms. She struggled to her feet with a huff and hefted the heavy metal. "Do remember that scene where they brought down the huge walkers?" 

Frank perked up at that. "I think I know what you're getting at." 

Arion âme to a sudden stop next to Annabeth, and she felt the wind ruffle through her hair. Hazel looked at her in confusion. "I don't get it. What's Star Wars?" 

"We're going to see a movie together after all this is over," Leo shouted. 

"Get it together, guys," Jason warned them. "I don't think I can hold it much longer." 

Frank gathered the anchor and chains from Annabeth's arms and leaped off the ship. She turned into a dragon mid-jump, the chains silk in his claws. 

Annabeth watched with bated breath as Frank slowly flew around the creature's legs, wrapping it with the chain. 

At last, Frank dropped the anchor into the water and stumbled back onto the deck as a human. 

Annabeth crosses her fingers and watched as the creature tried to walk forward. 

The chains held fast, creating a rope around the creature's two legs. Godzilla let out a piercing shriek before falling towards the water surface, face-first. 

After a few seconds, Annabeth suddenly realised that the creature was going to fall directly into the ship's deck. "Move, move!" 

"Everyone, hold on tight," Leo shouted. He pulled the lever on his XBox controller, and the ship shifted with a groan. It tiled to a steeper angle, nearly completely vertical. 

Annabeth grabbed onto Hazel, who grabbed onto Frank, who was holding onto the railing with his legs and onto Jason with his free hand. 

Jason's pupils had rolled up into his head and his body was limp. Annabeth saw his wound was still purple, but she could see his chest rising and falling. 

Godzilla slammed into the water face-first and started sinking immediately. Leo slowly started to lower the ship back to horizontal. 

Festus flew below the ship and held it up from the damaged end in place of the stabilisers so that they wouldn't fall out of the sky. 

"The crisis is averted, but we need to fix the ship!" Leo called to them. "Festus only has so much fuel, and if he runs out, we will fall." 

Annabeth hurried towards him with a length of rope. "I'll help you. We have to tie ourselves and climb down to fix it." 

Leo quickly instructed Hazel to get the materials from belowdeck while Frank carried Jason down to the infirmary. 

They tethered themselves to the railing with the ropes and started scaling the ship. 

Annabeth reached the bottom of the hull first, and Hazel passed her the metal. She started to get to work on the stabilisers, leaving Leo to repair the wooden planks outside. 

As they slowly repaired the ship together, Annabeth was reminded of all the times she and Leo had finished projects in Bunker 9. It was like their secret place when they needed to get away from everything once in a while and just work in silence. 

Annabeth found Leo's company comforting, since he didn't judge her much. She was surprised how close they'd grown together over the years, but between her need to get away from thinking about Percy and his love for mechanics, they'd bonded over their work. 

"Are you excited to see Percy again?" Leo asked her. 

Annabeth was glad Leo couldn't see her face. 

A mental image of Percy and Rachel kissing under the sunset slid into her mind again, as it often did when she thought of him. Annabeth swallowed and blinked the wetness in her eyes away. 

She wanted to tell Leo about it, about all of it, she'd kept all those secrets for so long. But something held her back. 

Most of all, Annabeth was afraid Leo would confirm her worst fear. 

What if Percy left her because she wasn't good enough for him? 

Maybe she hadn't been as clever as Rachel. Or as pretty or skinny as her.

Annabeth wasn't ready for the possibility that Leo might agree with that. She wasn't ready to hear it from someone else. 

So she replied with her usual, "I guess." Annabeth knew Leo would never see through her lie, because, well, it was Leo, and because she'd told it so many times, that maybe she could start to believe it too.


	6. Thessaloniki

Jason dreamt that he was having a Roman feast dinner with the Fifth Cohort. 

"Really brought us to glory," Dakota declared, beaming from ear to ear. His goblet was filled with Kool-Aid, his favourite drink, which stained his lips with telltale marks of red. 

Gwen nudged Jason in the side. "The first one of us to make praetor." 

Jason blushed at the compliments. "Really, guys, I did what any good Roman would've done." 

"You're being modest," Dakota insisted. "You led us to victory at Mount Tamalpais; you're the reason that the Titan stronghold crumbled!" 

"Reyna was amazing too," Jason argued. 

"Yes, of course, but she isn't a Fifth Cohort centurion," Dakota pointed out. "She didn't start out in the lousiest group of us all." 

Jason slung an arm across Dakota's shoulders. "I don't care what people say about us. You guys are the best cohort I could ask for." 

"To Jason!" Bobby cheered. 

"To Jason!" the Fifth Cohort echoed. 

Jason had never felt happier. He swelled with pride, and happiness, and belonging. His friends–no, his family, surrounded him. 

Jason raised his goblet, obliging to the cheers, and took a sip. When he removed the goblet from his lips, a cold shiver ran down Jason's spine. 

He'd spilt the drink all over his fingers. Red ran between his fingers and across his hands like an endless waterfall. 

"Guys, I need a napkin—" 

Jason looked up and saw Dakota lying on a ruined feast table, a sword sticking grotesquely out of his gut. Blood ran out of the corner of his mouth and his eyes were glassy. 

Jason stumbled off his chair, the scraping sound deafening in the silent hall. 

The entire Fifth Cohort lay dead, bodies sprawled across the now empty table, smashed plates and glass shards scattered about. 

Gwen, with an arrow impaled in her windpipe, and countless of Jason's friends fallen. Dead. 

"No," Jason stared at his red-stained hands in horror. His mutters turned into cries. "No!" 

Everywhere he turned, bodies lay still. 

Reyna's crumpled figure on the carpet, her blood staining the fur. Her praetor's cloak lying in a torn pile. 

The scene flashed again, and now, Camp Half-Blood lay burning and smouldering. Flames ravaged the hills and the greenery had all been reduced to ashes or shrivelled plants. 

Bodies littered Half-Blood Hill; the bodies of his friends. Chiron, Frank, Hazel, Annabeth. Names ran through Jason's mind as he backed up, refusing to believe the sight before his eyes. 

"No!" Jason shouted. His voice echoed across the empty valley. 

Jason tripped over something behind him, and he fell to the ground. Leo's body lay completely still, and Percy's limp figure was scrunched up next to him. 

Jason frantically scrambled to stand up, he backed away from the dead bodies, deliriously shaking his head. "No, no, no," he murmured. 

"Jason," a soothing voice called to him. 

Jason turned desperately. 

Piper was under a tree, kneeling down and staring at the ground. 

"Pipes," Jason nearly sobbed. He rushed to her and sank to his knees in front of her. 

She slowly brought her head up to him, and Jason fell back in horror. 

A spear ran through her chest, straight through where her heart was. 

Her hand shot out, lightning fast, and gripped his wrist in a flash. Jason writhed in her hold, but he couldn't wrench himself out of her grasp. 

"You could've done more," Piper choked. "You could've saved me." 

"I tried," Jason cried. "I'm sorry. Piper, I'm sorry! I'll find you! I'll save you!" 

Piper stared at him. "It's too late, Jason." 

She released him, and Jason staggered to his feet. 

He turned on the spot, trying to escape from this madness. Everywhere he looked, dead friends lay. Blood, weapons, war. 

Jason felt his head spinning, and he stumbled and fell backwards. 

As he braced himself for impact, Jason woke up in his bed with a jolt. 

His breaths came out in rapid pants, and his hair stuck to his temple. Beads of perspiration lined his forehead and the back of his neck. 

Jason buried his face in his hands.

His heart hammered against his ribcage, and he couldn't breathe. Jason desperately grabbed at his sheets, anything to help him. He felt so lost, so trapped...

Jason forced himself to calm down. He didn't know how long it took; it could have been seconds, minutes, or hours. Eventually, his breaths slowed to a slow but shaky pace. 

Jason sank into pillows with a shuddering sigh. 

He was alone in his cabin. No dead bodies, no burning Half-Blood Hill. 

Now that he had gotten himself to calm down, Jason regained his senses. He'd had this dream a billion times before. 

Ever since the invicta attacked Camp Jupiter and slaughtered nearly everyone there, Jason had had this recurring nightmare almost every single night. 

He would wake up in a cold sweat, unable to breathe and with an uncontrollable urge to start sobbing. 

Jason was always alone in the confinement of his cabin, and no one ever heard him at night. Not even Piper knew about this. 

He could never muster up the strength to tell her, especially since, in the nightmares, she was usually the one telling him that he could've done more. It differed. Piper, sometimes Dakota or Percy, even Annabeth and Leo. It never mattered. 

The nightmares were different from demigod dreams, where messages were always told by some entity. From all his nightmares, the most Jason could figure out was that they were extremely real and never failed to send him into a downward spiral. 

Every morning after a nightmare, Jason tried his best to be discreet about it, but he immediately went to see Piper. Just talking to her normally calmed him down, and he'd feel safe again until the night, where she wasn't there to protect him from the horrors of his nightmares. 

Jason speculated telling her the first few times he got them, but he could never bring himself to tell her. She would think he was weak, not strong enough to handle a few little dreams. No, he couldn't do that. 

And now, after five years, Jason feared that Piper might think he was hiding something from her. 

He didn't have a choice but to keep it to himself. A secret that was eating him alive. 

Jason hoped he hadn't woken up Frank or Leo; his cabin sat between both of theirs. 

He sighed and pulled the duvet over himself. 

Another night, another nightmare. 

^^^^

Frank yawned sleepily as he trudged up the staircase. Jason must've knocked over something in his room in the middle of the night, because some commotion woke Frank up too. 

And now, four hours later, it was 7a.m. and Frank was ready for his favourite meal of the day; breakfast. 

As he was walking, Frank heard grunting coming from the training room. He figured it was early, and he had nothing better to do, so he started heading over to investigate. 

The training room was like a mini gym Leo had integrated into the Argo II as part of his improved renovations and building plans. 

It had dummies, practice swords, sparring areas, obstacle courses, and basically a mini training camp packed into one room. Leo even added some human inventions like a treadmill and some weights. 

It was ironic, since Frank was pretty sure none of them were actually going to use it. For example, he was not big on exercise, and obstacle courses were pretty much his biggest nightmare. 

Frank pushed the door open and he raised an eyebrow in surprise when he saw Annabeth inside, panting as she ran on the treadmill. She was wearing sports leggings and a t-shirt, which was different from the usual jean shorts and Camp Half-Blood shirt she wore. 

Two of the training dummies were completely destroyed and hacked at, and there were some training swords lying around. 

Frank peeked his head in. "Knock, knock?" 

Annabeth glanced behind at him and slowly came to a stop on the treadmill. "Hey, Frank." She has an enormous hardback book on the treadmill stand, and she had it opened to one of the centre pages. "I'm just multitasking. Get in some extra exercise while researching on some old myths." 

"Which ones?" Frank asked with interest. He peered over her shoulder, and stupidly realised that everything was in Ancient Greek, a language he basically spoke nothing of. 

Of course, Annabeth was dyslexic, why wouldn't she read books in Ancient Greek? 

"Mostly on Pontus and Agatha, just so I'm prepared for anything," Annabeth explained. "We're dealing with some pretty old mythical stuff here, so I'm just checking up in case there are any other surprises." 

Frank sat down on the bench. "Found anything interesting?" 

Annabeth shrugged. "Sort of. The most useful thing I've found so far is that apparently, to get into Agatha, you have to take some kind of test." 

Frank frowned. "A test? That doesn't sound good. The last time we had to go through a test to get in somewhere, it was the super deadly poison at the House of Hades." 

Annabeth laughed. "I heard. How was the barley?" 

Frank pulled a face. "Don't even go there." He glanced around the room and stood up. "Well, it looks like you're done. Want to go get some breakfast?" 

Annabeth waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, don't worry, I'll come with you. But I'm not really hungry, so I'll probably just have a drink." 

Frank nodded and they headed back to the lounge. 

The magical plates from Camp Half-Blood were life-savers. Frank could order any bacon, sausage or egg he wanted, and exactly how he wanted it. And the food was always up to expectations. 

Annabeth just had some drink in one of the magical glasses. "Energy drink," she requested. 

In the back of his mind, Frank was kind of concerned that the last time he saw her eat was a granola bar yesterday afternoon, but he figure that even if he brought it up, she wouldn't be too pleased, so Frank just ignored it. 

"So, Frank," Annabeth said. "I'm usually pretty good at reading people, and I was just wondering, what's going on between you and Hazel?" 

Frank stared at his plate. "What? Me and Hazel? Nothing at all, why do you ask? I mean, not nothing, because, well, we're dating." He glanced at Annabeth's amused expression. "But you already knew that anyway." 

"It's just that you guys haven't really talked in a while," Annabeth pointed out. 

Frank sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I just didn't really want to broadcast it. Recently, I feel like I can't talk to her anymore. She's so distant, and she hardly ever speaks to me anymore. And I feel like this is all my fault, because it all started when a few weeks ago..." 

Frank trailed off. He didn't know how to tell Annabeth this. 

She gestured for him to continue. 

Frank shifted in his seat nervously. "See, a few weeks ago, I was thinking about Camp Jupiter, and how demigods used to get together and start families. But now, that's all gone, and I was just thinking, how would Hazel and I start our future?" Frank paused. "Then I realised that I knew for sure that Hazel was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with." 

Annabeth's expression broke into a smile. "Frank, that's amazing!" 

He cringed. "Oh, don't congratulate me yet. Listen to the next part." 

Annabeth frowned. "Okay?" 

Frank sighed. "So I thought about that, and it kind of scared me. I got all flustered and stutter-y around her - like it was before we started dating. And I didn't want her to think I was being weird, so I kind of avoided her for a little bit there. Maybe she thought I was being distant? I don't know." 

"But are you okay now?" Annabeth prompted. 

Frank nodded vigorously. "Definitely. In fact," he shuffled his feet. "I realised that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Hazel so much that I decided to—"

"Land ahoy!" Leo crowed as he danced into the lounge. 

Frank had a sudden urge to strangle Leo, the first time he'd had that urge since their first quest aboard the Argo II. 

Propose. 

The word was on the tip of his tongue. 

"What?" Annabeth shot to her feet. 

Frank was so angry at Leo for interrupting that it took him a second to process the information. "Wait, what?" 

"Land!" Leo cheered again. "Thessaloniki! We're here, baby!" 

"How did we get here so quickly?" Annabeth demanded, astounded. "I thought you said Thursday, tops! It's only Sunday, Leo!" 

Leo threw his arms up in the air helplessly. "I honestly have no idea, Annabeth. The seas were calm, winds were in our favour, everything was amazing." 

In his mind, Frank made a mental thank-you prayer to Poseidon. He had a small feeling that the sea god was helping them along to find his son. 

We'll bring him home, Frank promised. At least, I'll try. 

"Everybody up!" Leo hopped over to the bell and rang it a few times. 

After a few minutes, Jason and Hazel stumbled upstairs, sill in their pyjamas and weapons out. 

"Where's the emergency?" Jason growled when he saw Leo standing by the bell. 

"Oops, was that the emergency bell?" Leo said. "Sorry, I meant to ring the 'wake up' bell." 

Jason threw his sword up in the air and it turned back into a coin. He slipped it back into his pocket. 

Hazel glared at Leo. "Don't ever wake me up again unless someone is dying or in danger of death. Clear?" 

"Crystal," Leo laughed nervously. 

When everyone was changed out of their pyjamas and any embarrassing penguin-themed clothes (it was definitely not Jason), Annabeth led the expedition off the ship. 

They left their ship moored to the bay area and got off. Leo paid one of the mortal fishermen to board the ship and fish from it so that monsters wouldn't single it out as a demigod trireme. 

Since Agatha's location in Thessaloniki was never exactly pinpointed in any maps, Annabeth's hunch was that they should seek help in the Temple of Aphrodite. 

Apparently she thought that Aphrodite would help them find Piper. 

Frank found it tough to believe, but sure enough, after a long trek in the hot sun to the temple, there was a rather obscene tapestry of Aphrodite, with her fingers pointing diagonally downwards. 

Leo estimated her to be pointing at a certain floorboard near the wall. When Hazel knelt down, she said she'd sensed a whole series of confusing tunnels underneath. 

"Should we just pry it up now?" Leo suggested, glancing around at the milling tourists. The last time they'd encountered tourists during a quest, they had been possessed by eidolons. And now they didn't have Piper to charmspeak any spirits away. 

"It's too conspicuous," Annabeth whispered. 

"I don't understand big words," Leo hissed back. 

Annabeth rolled her eyes. 

"Speak to me like you would speak to a five-year-old child," he insisted. 

"We'll wait till nightfall," Annabeth told them. "Hide out in the toilets. When the place is closed, we can explore the tunnels and whatever's in them without mortals getting in the way."


	7. The City with No Sky

When the sun set and the moon rose, the five demigods pried up the floorboard under the cover of the night. 

Hazel peered down the seemingly endless void of darkness and discerned a staircase spiralling downwards. 

She could feel tunnels extending from the stairwell, their entrances and exits blocked with rubble and dead ends. The whole maze made her dizzy. 

"Ladies first," Leo said weakly. 

Jason rolled his eyes. "I'll lead." He shouldered past Leo and started down the staircase. 

Annabeth followed after him, Leo right at her heels. Hazel hurried in after him, not wanting to be last. 

When they were all on the staircase, Frank slid the floorboard back over their heads, plunging them into absolute darkness. 

The abrupt absence of light sent a shiver of fear through Hazel. She was suddenly reminded of her death, oil filling up her lungs and blocking out her vision. 

Hazel blindly reached for anyone, and she grasped familiar fingers. 

"F-Frank?" she whispered shakily into the darkness. 

Frank gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "Hey, hey, I'm here." 

For the first time in ages, Hazel felt completely at ease with him. 

The last few weeks were filled with clumsy exchanges and awkward silences. Hazel constantly caught Frank staring at her with a strange expression on his face, and when she locked gazes with him, he would always turn away. He kept blushing and stuttering around her, or simply avoided her altogether. 

She frequently found him muttering to himself, then glancing at her before looking away. 

All Hazel wanted to do right now was kiss him in the darkness, but she forced herself to remain calm. 

There was some shuffling around before Jason's sword burst into being, the Imperial Gold casting a dim golden glow. Annabeth unsheathed her dagger - the celestial bronze similarly lit up - and Leo held a flame in each palm. 

Their dim halo of light was the only illumination as they descended the staircase. 

Hazel's hand never left Frank's as they followed Leo. 

Hazel continued down with bated breath. She half-expected monsters to start jumping out of the walls. 

"Did you hear about the girl was so keen on road safety and always wore white at night?" Leo's voice echoed around the stairwell. "Last winter, she was knocked down by a snow plough."

When no one else joined in his nervous laughter, Leo didn't seem to mind laughing by himself. 

"Did you hear about the idiot who sat up all night wondering where the sun had gone? The next morning it dawned on him." 

"If you don't shut up, you won't live to see the next morning," Annabeth growled. 

Leo gulped and they continued in silence. 

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, everyone seemed to be anxious about the lack of opposition. 

"It shouldn't be this easy," Annabeth kept muttering. "What about the test?" 

"Is that it?" Leo murmured to Hazel. "I don't want another Godzilla incident." 

"Maybe the Agathians were friendly people," Frank said hopefully. 

Leo looked like he wanted to make a sarcastic comment, but Hazel silenced him with a glare. 

Jason pivoted in a circle. "I think it's a dead end." As soon as he said that, a silhouette rippled into existence in the wall. 

Hazel had to strain her eyes, but she made it out to be a door. A door so black it was almost invisible in the darkness. 

The word "PROCEED" was written on the door in purple block letters. 

"Should we just..." Leo mimed opening the door. "...go in?" 

Jason shrugged and tentatively pushed the door. "It's locked." 

"Want me to kick it down?" Frank suggested. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and start preparing to break it down. 

Annabeth walked up to the door and grabbed the handle. 

The door swung open. 

"It's a 'pull' door," Annabeth told them, stifling a snicker. 

Hazel looked away so Frank couldn't see her grinning in amusement. 

Annabeth strode through confidently with her dagger at the ready. 

They spilled through the door and onto a cobblestone path. 

Hazel scanned her surroundings. They were on the main path in a village, just like in Jason's (terrible) drawing. Houses were erected on either side of the path, and medieval torches carrying purple flames hung from walls. 

"Unfriendly residents?" Leo guessed nervously, glancing from house to house. 

"Frozen in time," Annabeth corrected, pointing to figures on the street. 

Hazel realised that she was right. Three people were standing a little in front of them, on the path, but they were the colour of dust and stone from head to toe, and unmoving. 

"The citizens must've all been frozen when the earth swallowed Agatha," Annabeth reasoned. "Hades shows no mercy." 

Hazel felt an urge to apologise for her father's maniacal habits. 

"Someone's been here," Jason said suddenly in a hushed voice. "An hour ago, maybe less." He gestured to the imprints on the cobblestone - dirt and leaves on an underground city's road. 

"It has to be Pontus," Annabeth insisted. "Or one of his allies. He couldn't have pulled all of this off alone. Monsters won't answer to him; he had help." 

"Who else controls the monsters?" Hazel wondered aloud. "It's not Pluto, and his subjects wouldn't betray him. Who else can control the monsters, and might side with Pontus?" 

Annabeth seemed to grow paler by the second. 

"You have a hunch," Jason realised. 

Annabeth pursed her lips. "Let's hope I'm wrong." 

They traipsed past the stone figures, trying not to look at them. Hazel wondered if she would meet the same fate before getting out of this place. 

Underground was usually a sanctuary for her. 

Not Agatha. 

This city gave her the creeps. There was no sky, no clouds, no sun. There was only an inky abyss. 

Dark magic hung in the air, and Hazel could feel dark Mist swirling around them - harmless for now, but possibly deadly in the near future. 

Hazel couldn't sense any tunnels leading out of this city, it was just in the middle of nowhere, buried somewhere in the earth. The idea that she was trapped in soil made Hazel's heart clench. It reminded her of Gaia. 

Frank studied her expression. "You okay? You look like you're thinking of..." 

Hazel bit her lip. 

"Oh." Frank fell silent. 

"There's so many arrows pointing to Gaia," Hazel whispered. She didn't want to scare her other friends any more. "Primordial, Pontus' previous relationship with her. And Agatha, a city buried in the earth." 

"She couldn't have risen," Frank said. He sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than her. "We–we would've known. There would've been signs. Earthquakes." 

"It's still a possibility." Hazel sighed. "What if she turns the Romans against the Greeks again? There are so few of both camps that it wouldn't take long for us to wipe each other out." 

"I don't know what will happen," Frank said slowly. "But I do know I'll fight beside you. And beside all my friends." Frank looked at his feet. "Because you guys are my family." 

Hazel glanced up at him. 

His brown eyes showed only kindness and an innocence that was unique to Frank. Hazel stood on her tip-toes and kissed him on the cheek. 

She cleared her throat. "Listen, Frank. I don't know if it's just me, but the last few weeks have been..." 

"Horrible, awkward, weird," Frank blurted out.

Hazel pulled a face. "That sums it up." 

Frank scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, I know. I'm really sorry about that. I've been feeling strange, that's all." 

Hazel felt the knot of stress in her chest start to unravel. It was like an enormous burden had been lifted off her shoulders. She let out a deep sigh. "Oh, you have no idea how glad I am that we talked about this. Anything else I should know?" 

Frank shifted his weight and shook his head. "No," he said uncertainly. 

Hazel immediately sensed he was lying. She started to gather the courage to ask him about it when Annabeth suddenly halted in her path. 

"Guys," she breathed. "I'm not just imagining this, right?" 

Hazel followed her gaze and her eyes widened in shock. The cobblestone path led up to a castle, the colour of ebony, that stood in the distance, as tall as skyscrapers. 

Even Leo was impressed. "Wow." 

"You don't think..." Jason trailed off hesitantly. 

"That's where Piper and Percy are?" Annabeth finished. "I'm almost a hundred percent sure." 

Jason sighed. "I was afraid of that." 

The castle stood on top of a hill and stretched into Agatha's void of a sky. 

They began their trek up. 

Hazel passed more frozen people as they walked. 

The dark magic in the air she was feeling was definitely the spell that had frozen the city's residents in time. She wondered to herself if it was Hecate's doing – the goddess who had personally endorsed Hazel. 

As they neared the castle, it seemed to grow in size. The towers stretched up into the midnight-black sky, and small lights flickered in a few windows, though the faint glows were nowhere near enough to illuminate the city. 

There was a moat surrounding the castle, and Leo held a flame in his hand up high so that they could see it. 

"It just looks like water," Annabeth mused. 

"Very, very dirty water," Leo said warily. "Like I could contract tuberculosis just from standing near to it." 

Hazel sighed. "That isn't what tuberculosis is–"

"Why don't we just move away from the murky water?" Frank suggested weakly. "I think I saw something moving inside." 

That got them scrambling away quickly. 

As the five demigods crossed the drawbridge, Hazel desperately prayed that it wouldn't suddenly retract and leave them to fall into the moat. 

Fortunately, the bridge remained intact and in place, though Hazel couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief when they reached the other side. 

The gates of the gates were open, as if welcoming them inside to their deaths. Hazel felt a shiver run down her spine, and she shuffled closer to Leo for the warmth. 

The entrance opened up into the main hallway. To the right, there were stairwells leading up and down. Straight ahead, the corridor made a turn. 

"We should split up," Annabeth said. Her voice reverberated off the dark walls. 

"That's exactly how the characters die in every single horror movie," Leo whimpered. "Let's not do that." 

"It's the only way to cover the most ground," Annabeth insisted. "One group goes up, one goes down, and one searches this level." 

"We're an odd number," Hazel noted. "Someone will have to go alone." 

Leo seemed to be petrified with fear. 

"I'll go alone," Annabeth offered, rolling her eyes as Leo feigned wiping sweat from his brow. "It was my idea anyways." 

"You'll be fine?" Jason asked her warily. His right hand held his spatha, but his left hand was hovering over his wound. 

Annabeth waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, I can take care of myself." 

"I'll go with Leo, then," Jason decided. "Hazel, you and Frank can take downstairs. Leo, you and I can search this floor together." 

"Leaving me with the top floor," Annabeth finished. "Meet back outside the castle when you're done. If you run into any trouble, just scream. We'll come running." 

"What if we don't hear it?" Hazel asked worriedly. 

"I'm very good at screaming," Leo reassured her. "Trust me, you'll hear me." He sobered up almost instantly. "But seriously, guys, be careful. I-I-" He took a deep breath. "I can't lose anymore of you." 

Hazel felt a pang in her heart. She gave Leo a reassuring side hug. "And you won't." She have each of them a glare as if to say, don't you dare die or I will kill you myself. 

Annabeth brushed the hair out of her face. "Well, then. See you later." She saluted with a fearful expression as she started walking up the stairs. 

Once she disappeared from sight, Hazel grabbed Frank's hand and pulled him towards the stairs. 

"Have fun," she wished Leo, who reluctantly followed after Jason. 

She drew her longsword and glanced up at Frank. "Let's go find our friends."


	8. The Maid’s Baby

Leo held a flame in his hand as he followed Jason along the corridor. Jason's magical spatha gave off a small golden glow of light. 

There was only one door at the end of the path, and Jason tentatively pushed the door open. 

As they walked in, Leo took quick note of the stacked boxes in the room. There was a counter with wooden bar stools, and cabinets on the wall. 

Jason flipped his spatha in his hand and it reverted back into a golden coin. He dropped it into his pocket. "It's just the castle kitchens. No one will be here since they're all frozen." 

Leo's eyes searched the room. Something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on it. 

He pushed away the feeling of uneasiness. "Well, if it's the kitchens, then let's get some food." 

Jason looked conflicted, but Leo was already emptying pantry boxes to find snacks. 

"Why don't they have any Fonzies?" Leo complained as he pulled out yet another loaf of mouldy bread. 

"Probably because this place existed before the first century," Jason muttered. He sat perched on a bar stool, glancing away warily. 

"You need to chill," Leo insisted. He pulled out some vegetables that had gone bad, and – guess what? – more stale bread. "It's not like they would keep soldiers in the kitchen." 

Jason didn't relax at all. "Every single attack so far has happened when we turned our backs or let our guard down. I'm not letting that happen again." He looked down at his feet. "The last time it happened Piper was taken, and she could very well be dead." 

Leo set the pantry box back. "Come on, Sparky. She's not. You can't think like that. It'll just bum you out even more." 

Jason sighed. "It's all I can think about." He suddenly fell silent. "Leo, do you ever have nightmares?" 

Leo continued shuffling through boxes. 

More rotten food. 

"Like prophetical nightmares?" Leo asked. 

"Like wake-up-in-cold-sweat nightmares," came Jason's answer. 

Leo turned around to face his best friend and opened his mouth to comfort him, when he suddenly realised what had made him uneasy earlier. 

The stove was on; the purple flames flickered in the air. They were minuscule, but they were still there. 

Leo fell his heart start to pound against his ribcage. "Jason, if no one's here, why is the stove on?" 

Jason instantly sprang to his feet, his imperial gold sword in hand this time.

A soft whine came from somewhere in the kitchen. Leo strained his ears to find the source of the sound, and silently gestured towards the small trapdoor at the bottom of the pantry. 

They crept towards it, and Jason slashed the lock at a blindingly fast speed and yanked the door open. 

Leo was surprised and confused to see a girl sitting underneath, a fussing baby in her arms. 

"What are you?" Jason demanded. "What do you want?" 

The girl climbed out with the baby in her arms, a terrified expression on her face. 

Leo reached a hand. "Jason, calm down. It's just a girl." 

When his friend didn't reply, Leo squinted to look closer at the girl. There was something strange about her. Her skin was pale and...translucent. In fact, Leo could see through her entire body, and there was a shimmering aura that surrounded her form, flickering madly. 

Even her baby's movements were different. A trail of light green light followed everywhere he moved. 

"Are you a ghost?" Jason whispered. He was panting heavily and his sword shook as his arm trembled. The glow of his sword cast light on his face, such that Leo could see the fear in Jason's electric blue eyes. 

Leo had never seen him like this before; so genuinely afraid of this harmless girl. 

"Χαίρομαι από την αθάθα," she said in a shaky voice. 

Jason's brow furrowed. "What?" 

"It's Ancient Greek," Leo realised. 

"παρακαλώ μην με βλάψετε ή το μωρό μου," she pleaded. "είμαστε αθώοι. μας ξυπνούσε για να τον υπηρετήσουμε." 

"They're harmless," Leo told Jason. "She's saying that someone woke her up to serve him." 

"Who's 'him'?" Jason demanded. His sword was still pointed tersely at the ghostly maid. 

Leo asked her in Ancient Greek, to which she replied, "το αιώνιο λάκκο, φυσικά."

"Tartarus," Leo breathed. 

Jason lowered his sword, though his eyes were still filled with terror. "Tartarus? Annabeth knew already. Earlier, when she wouldn't tell us." 

"I'm sure she had a good reason," Leo told Jason in a low voice. 

"How can you be sure?" Jason asked bitterly. "Leo, all those years ago, you think they managed to destroy Camp Jupiter through sheer luck? No, someone told them our secrets, our defences, everything." 

Leo glanced at Jason. He was so angry, yet so scared. Leo hardly recognised him anymore. "And you think Annabeth is the spy?" 

Jason shook his head. "Of course, not. I'm just saying that at the end of the line, there's no one you can really trust." 

Leo wanted to object, but Jason had already turned back to the maid. 

"Ask her about Piper," Jason urged. 

"είδατε ένα κορίτσι?" Leo asked. 

The maid fell silent. 

Leo repeated the question. 

"She knows something," Jason said automatically. 

The maid refused to speak. 

"Answer him!" Jason yelled, lunging forward and grabbing the baby from her. His arms didn't pass through the ghost, but instead grabbed the baby and held him up. 

"Jason, what are you doing?" Leo hissed in horror. 

"το μωρό μου!" the girl shrieked. "Παρακαλώ σταματήστε!" 

Jason held the sword to the baby. "Answer him or the baby dies."

Leo shakily translated. 

The girl sobbed furiously. "ορκίστηκα σε μυστικότητα! δεν θα μπορούσα να πω!" She fell to her knees, her hands clasped together. 

Leo turned to Jason. "Sh-she can't say." Leo cringed as he readied himself for what Jason was about to do. 

Jason's sword hovered dangerously close to to the baby's throat. 

"Jason, that's enough," Leo said nervously. 

Jason ignored him, pressing the flat of the gold blade to the baby's bare throat. 

"να σταματήσει! να σταματήσει! εγώ θα σας πω," the maid begged. She bowed her head and tried to stifle her quiet cries. "αυτή είναι κάτω, σε ένα κελί." 

"She's in a prison cell downstairs," Leo translated. He glanced at Jason. 

Jason lowered his sword. The fear and anger in his eyes faded and he stumbled back, suddenly hit with shame. 

The maid scrambled forward and snatched the baby back, softly crying to her child. 

"είστε τέρατα," she whimpered. 

You're monsters. 

Leo swallowed. "I'm sorry, w-we had to." 

Jason was staring at his sword in revolt. 

"Μπορώ να πω στον πλοίαρχο, ότι θα τους σκοτώσει και τα δύοz," she murmured under her breath. "θα τρέξει όταν φωνάζω."

Leo took a few seconds to understand her words. "We have to kill them." 

Jason looked at him in puzzlement. 

"She's going to scream for Tartarus," Leo said regretfully. "He'll know we're here." 

Jason clenched his first around the sword, squeezing his eyes shut. 

The maid didn't even have time to scream before the blade sliced through her and her baby, dispelling both of them into harmless green mist. 

<<< >>>

"This way," Hazel urged, holding out her longsword hesitantly. They followed the glow of her weapon down the seemingly never ending staircase. 

Frank couldn't help but feel a pleasant tingle run along his arm as she grabbed his hand. It made him feel needed, even though Hazel could probably kill a whole army of monsters with a sword and her hands tied behind her back. 

Frank already felt more comfortable around her since they arrived in Thessaloniki. It had to be the danger that was bringing them closer together. 

Ever since he had nearly mentioned his plans to Annabeth, Frank couldn't help but want to blurt out the question any time he remembered how much he loved Hazel. She was perfect in every way imaginable. 

Frank had to remind himself that proposing to her in a dark underground village where they could very likely die was not the most romantic scenery. 

He already had the ring from his grandmother – a family heirloom that was always passed down, though his mother had never used it. 

But Frank was pretty sure he could never muster enough courage to ask her. He would probably stammer himself faint or just go beet-red in silence. 

"Hello?" Hazel's voice yanked him out of his thoughts. "Earth to Frank?" 

Frank blinked himself back into reality. She was waving her hand in front of his face, her smile of amusement evident. 

Frank blushed. "Sorry, got lost in thought for a bit." 

Hazel laughed. "It's fine." 

They were almost down to the end of the stairwell. At the end, Hazel slashed the lock on the door off so that Frank could kick it open, and they slowly crept inside. 

"What in Hades..." Frank murmured. 

The growls and banging noises were the first things he noticed. Shrieks and yells followed after. 

Frank glanced up and saw that cages were the source of the rattling sound. Each cage held a creature, some that Frank recognised as common monsters, and some that were completely unfamiliar. 

To his left and right, shelves of cages were lined up against the walls. Frank spotted some humanoid creatures in each cell, cloaked in black and huddled into a ball with their eyes closed.

"The warrior from camp," Frank whispered to Hazel with a jolt of realisation. "There are more of them." 

He held on to her tightly as they continued down the hallway – more for his comfort than hers. 

As the hallway lengthened, Frank saw the strangest monsters. There was a hellhound with snakes for a mane – sort of like an animalistic Medusa – and harpies with dragon tails. 

Someone was experimenting with monsters. 

"Look," Hazel murmured. 

Frank followed her gaze to see another row of cages with half-formed invicta. These creatures only had empty shells, and lacked the water spirit churning inside. Some were shells half-filled with water spirits, and others were simply buckets of water and clear bottles lying beside it. 

"This must be how they're created," Hazel whispered. She stared longingly at the cage. "Frank, if I could just get one of those bottles–"

One of the dracanae let out a shrill shriek, making Hazel jump. 

Frank pulled her along. "Maybe next time. I don't want to risk any of these creatures getting out of their cages." 

The next section of the hallway grew narrower, and actual prison cells with opaque metal doors lined the walls. 

"Frank," Hazel nudged him and pointed to a prison door further up. "Look." 

There was a puddle of blood under one of the doors, completely stagnant, but fresh. 

Frank hurried to the door, where Hazel split the padlock open with her sword and they pushed it open. 

"Piper!" Hazel breathed in relief as she spotted the Cherokee girl slumped in a corner of the prison cell. 

Piper glanced up in astonishment as Hazel tackled her with a gleeful hug, and she quickly responded as well as she could with her bound hands. 

"H-Hazel?" Piper stammered in disbelief. "What-How–"

Frank grinned. "You didn't seriously think we'd leave you, did you?" 

Hazel sliced through the ropes tying Piper's hands and feet together, releasing her to hold her chafed wrists. 

"Frank," Piper sighed happily as she gave him a big hug. 

As she withdrew, the daughter of Aphrodite looked so happy she was close to tears. "Gods, I-I can't believe you're here." 

"Neither can I," Hazel sniffled. "I-I thought you might've been dead!" She and Piper shared another hug, leaving Frank to stare awkwardly at the extremely interesting cobblestone wall. 

"Wait," Frank suddenly realised. "This isn't your blood." He gestured to the pool of blood under the door. 

Piper shuddered. "No, i-it's Percy's." 

Frank felt his stomach turnover. Percy was really here. This was it. They were going to find him after all these years. 

Hazel seemed to be having the same train of thoughts. "Percy?" 

Piper nodded in confirmation. "I know, I couldn't believe it either." 

"Why was he bleeding?" Frank asked warily. 

Piper winced. "Tartarus. He thinks I'm Annabeth, and uses me to coerce Percy into cooperating. He keeps torturing him for information or making him train his warriors." 

Hazel shivered. "Yeah, we saw a few on our way here." 

A loud scream from outside echoed down the hallway. 

"We should go now," Frank told them. "Like, now." 

Piper was the first out the cell, sprinting down the hallway. Hazel and Frank followed suit. 

"They're going to alert Tartarus," Hazel muttered to Frank as they ran to he exit. 

Frank slammed the door behind him. The sounds were now significantly quieter. Hopefully no one had heard them. 

"Percy, we need to find Percy," Piper said immediately. "They dragged him off after another round, but I don't know where." 

Frank glanced at Hazel. "We're supposed to meet the others outside the castle. We split up into groups. Someone will find him if they haven't already." 

"Is Jason here?" Piper asked. 

Hazel nodded. "He wouldn't let us leave without him. Even when he couldn't stand." 

Piper let out a choked laugh. "Oh, Jason." 

Hazel gave her hand a squeeze. "Come on, let's go find him."


	9. A Painful Reunion

Annabeth held her dagger out to light up her path. The glow was hardly anything, but it was all she had. She regretted not taking Leo with her. Not only was he a human torch, he would also have calmed her down with his terrible jokes. 

Her heart was racing a mile a minute from fear, but also in anticipation at the idea of seeing Percy again. 

She didn't know whether to be angry at him, or to be relieved. To hug him or to throw him off the highest castle tower. She really wanted to do the second. 

Annabeth ignored her hammering heartbeats. She chided herself for being so ditzy. This was a rescue mission. She couldn't afford to be distracted by anything. 

This was the third of three towers she had to search. If she was going to find Piper or Percy, it was going to be here. 

The staircase leading up to the tower was nearby, but Annabeth had to walk along an entire corridor to get to it. 

Glass cabinets lined the walls, displaying items that nearly propelled her stomach out of her mouth. 

There were limbs hacked off from their owners – still bloody – displayed like prizes. It was disgusting. 

She tried not to look at the eyeballs as she walked briskly past them. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Annabeth suddenly saw something that glinted in the light of her dagger. 

She halted in her tracks. 

It was Riptide. 

She would recognise that pen anywhere. It had been Percy's sword since they were 12, and always reappeared in his pocket. They must've taken it off of him when he was kidnapped. 

Just looking at it brought back a rush of painful memories that Annabeth forced out of her mind. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to slow down her pounding heart. 

After a few moments, Annabeth took in another shaky breath. She had to stop going off like an alarm every time she thought about Percy, but she couldn't help it. 

He'd betrayed her; not just broken her heart, but shattered it into a million pieces. 

Stop, Annabeth told herself. You're an independent, intelligent woman, and you don't need him. 

She stared at Riptide as she took another deep breath. It was shrouded in some sort of black mist, probably to keep it from returning to Percy. 

In a split second of relapse against her better judgement, Annabeth smashed her dagger through the glass cabinet. The shatter echoed around the hallway. 

As soon as she'd done it, Annabeth silently chided herself for her reckless actions. 

"What was that?" a voice came from another room further down. Footsteps started to increase in volume. 

Annabeth froze. She quickly grabbed Riptide and ducked behind a wooden cabinet, waiting with bated breath. 

Someone walked out into the corridor. 

"Maybe it was the kitchens, Master," someone said. Their voice sounded male, like a regular human's. 

"Maybe," a deeper voice mused. 

Annabeth felt her heart speed up once again. 

Tartarus. 

She would've recognised his voice anywhere. She'd heard it in the hardest quest of her life, and frequently in her nightmares. 

Annabeth clutched her dagger closer to her body and squeezed her eyes shut, praying to all the gods that he wouldn't find her. 

"Is Jackson ready for another round?"

Annabeth shivered as Tartarus spoke again. He had to be talking about Percy. 

"Not yet, Master," the other voice replied. "You cannot overexert him, or he will die. As weak demigods do." 

Tartarus' sinister laugh echoed around the corridor. "Now, now, we can't have that. He continues to refuse to give me information, even when I have my knife against that girl's throat." 

"How will you persuade him?" 

"Soon, Phillip, soon. I will get him to tell me about that useless camp of his, and they will be destroyed by the time July dawns." 

Annabeth bit back a gasp. Camp? Tartarus was planning to attack Camp Half-Blood?

All her friends were there; they were her family. If he obliterated them like he did Camp Jupiter—

Annabeth shook the alarming thoughts out of her head. No, she wouldn't let him. She couldn't. 

A shrill scream resounded throughout the castle, making Annabeth jump in her hiding place. 

"What was that?" came Tartarus' sharp demand. 

"One of the monsters, Master," Phillip notified him. "I doubt it is anything important."

Tartarus fell silent for a moment. "It could be something. I have learnt not to underestimate those pesky demigods." 

The way he used "pesky" reminded Annabeth that they were just annoying flies to Tartarus – a primordial. It made her heart sink with negativity. How were seven demigods going to defeat him? 

The footsteps retreated and grew softer as Tartarus and Phillip started walking down to wherever the monsters were. Annabeth hoped that they wouldn't find her other friends. 

Once she was sure they were gone, Annabeth struggled up from her hiding place and quickly ran to the stairs. 

After the entirety of the winding stairwell, Annabeth reached a splintering oak door. 

She swore that people in China could probably hear her heart palpitating wildly against her ribcage. 

Annabeth uncapped Riptide and it sprung from pen form into a massive bronze sword. She felt a pang of familiarity at the sight of it. 

After smashing the lock with the sword, Annabeth hesitantly placed her hand on the door. She wasn't sure what she would find once she stepped inside. 

For camp, Annabeth decided. She lifted up her foot and kicked down the door. 

Bang! 

It slammed open with a loud crash, leaving Annabeth staring into a small stone room with a single window and no light. 

Chained to the wall was none other than Percy Jackson. His arms were spread out and his wrists were bound in metal manacles, and he was on his knees with his head hung low. 

His orange shirt was in tatters and nearly unrecognisable among the dried blood, and his jeans were ripped and dirtied. 

Annabeth wanted to cry out as she saw the bloody bruises imprinted along his bare arms, and the small scars and slashes that covered his skin. 

His raven black hair, matted with blood and perspiration, hung down to cover his face, his raspy breaths echoing around the cell as he stared pointedly at the ground before him. 

The door closed behind them with a small click. 

"What do you want?" Percy's voice reverberated around the tiny room. It was cracked and monotonous from a lack of water. "If you're here to ask me about camp, I've already told you — I don't know anything." 

Annabeth swallowed and blinked the burning tears out of her eyes. She sheathed her dagger. 

"Percy." 

Percy's head snapped up within a split second, and incredulity was written all over his face. His eyes widened in disbelief. 

"Oh my gods," he murmured feverishly. "Is this a dream?" 

Annabeth wanted to run forward and kiss him harder than she'd ever done before, to tell him that she was real.

Come on, Annabeth, she mentally scolded. A few words from him and you're ready to melt?

Annabeth forced herself to glance away from him, and she quickly slashed through his chains with Riptide. 

Percy remained kneeling, his eyes following Annabeth's movements in silence. "A-Annabeth–" he stammered. "You're here—You're really here." 

Annabeth capped Riptide and rolled the pen over to him, refusing to meet his eyes. Yeah, to rescue your sorry ass. She bit back the remark. 

Percy struggled to stand up, the manacles on his wrists weighing down. He studied her face carefully. 

"Come here," Annabeth said sharply. She pulled a bobby pin from her back pocket and yanked his wrist towards her. Within a few seconds, the manacles clicked open and fell to the ground, leaving Percy a free man for the first time in five years. 

"I believe this is yours." She tossed him Riptide, and Percy caught it easily, gripping his pen tightly, though his eyes still drifted to Annabeth. 

Percy slipped Riptide back into his pocket and slowly approached her. "Annabeth–"

"Don't," Annabeth interrupted, clenching her fist. "Percy, please." Her voice broke on he last word and she ducked away from him to hide her burning eyes. 

Percy felt his heart break as her soft cries filled the room. She wiped her tears away furiously, running a hand through her curls in frustration. 

Percy had never loathed himself more. She couldn't even look at him. 

It's because you left her, Percy reminded himself bitterly. You promised her you'd always be there, and you disappeared. You left her alone. 

"We should go," Annabeth said curtly. "The others are waiting for us." 

Percy knew he should've been ecstatic about seeing the rest of his friends again, but seeing Annabeth again had destroyed all that. 

He'd dreamt of their reunion before, early in his capture when he was delirious from torture. How they'd kiss like nothing else mattered, and how they would hold each other tight and whisper "I love you". 

"Yeah," Percy managed. "Let's go." 

No sooner had the words left his mouth did the door to the prison cell fling open with a loud crash. 

A low maniacal chuckling filled the room as Tartarus strode in in all his glory and might. 

Percy felt the usual jolt of terror that always courses through him whenever he saw Tartarus. He could almost feel the bruises and cuts forming on his skin. 

He threw a glance back at Annabeth, whose red-rimmed grey eyes had widened in panic as her hand instantly went to her dagger. 

"What a touching reunion!" Tartarus snickered. "A lover's spat after years of separation? Now this is the stuff they should show on Hephaestus TV." 

Tartarus' beady red eyes narrowed as his gaze raked over Annabeth. 

Percy instinctively took a step forward to block Annabeth. "Don't touch her," he growled through gritted teeth. 

"I can take care of myself," Annabeth snarled. 

Percy ignored the hurt he felt at her words, never removing his eyes from Tartarus. 

"Now I see my mistake," Tartarus said airily. "This is Annabeth Chase. I would've recognised your eyes anywhere." He continued to pace around the room. "I suppose that is why Perseus never obeyed my commands; it was never you at stake." 

The cold expression on Annabeth's ace never slipped. "We'll never tell you anything." 

Tartarus scoffed. "Do really believe that he wouldn't break with the love of his life under the whip?"

"If you're looking for the love of his life," Annabeth said quietly. "Then you've got the wrong girl." 

Tartarus fell silent as his footsteps echoed around the cell, his eyes fixed on the floor in determination. 

Percy felt something brush against his hand. 

He discreetly glanced behind and saw Annabeth slowly angle her eyes towards the tiny window in the cell. 

It was her 'I have a plan' eyes. 

Percy slowly started to move his hand towards his pocket, where Riptide was still capped and in pen form. 

"But you are still his friend," Tartarus suddenly voiced, making Percy jump. "And his fatal flaw will never let him live instead of you." 

"My fatal flaw?" Percy asked. He was using Annabeth's favourite ploy; distraction. That would give her some time to make calculations or whatever her plan was. Jumping out of a ten-storey high tower window wasn't something Percy would usually do, but it was Annabeth, and he would've trusted her with his life. 

"Indeed," Tartarus smirked. "Know your friends, but know your enemies better." 

Annabeth stared at him. "That isn't even close to the actual saying." 

"Bah! Mortals and their stupid quotes." Tartarus glared at her. "You aren't getting in anyone's good books, girl. You might want to watch that mouth of yours if you want to live." 

Percy clenched his fist. 

Tartarus took another step closer to Annabeth. "You don't know how much I would like to see your demigod blood run along the stones until the floor is stained red with your blood – just like your boyfriend here." 

"He's not my boyfriend," Annabeth said angrily. 

"It doesn't matter," Tartarus spat. "You're both insignificant annoyances in the way of my plan. Like flies." He was just one step away from her. "And you know what happens to flies?" he growled. His hand flew out and gripped Annabeth's wrist, making her gasp in alarm. "They get crushed." 

Percy let out a yell as he pulled his fist back and punched Tartarus straight in the nose. 

The primordial of the pit let out a feral snarl, as he staggered back from the impact, clutching at the golden ichor streaming from his face. 

"Now," Percy said urgently. "Now!" 

Annabeth seemed to unfreeze from her shock and scrambled towards the wall. Using the jutting stones as footholds, she hoisted herself up and over the window sill. 

As Percy made to follow her, a blow knocked him over from the back. 

The sound of Tartarus' massive sword swinging through the air instantly turned Percy to battle mode, his senses ringing and his old training kicking into action. 

Percy rolled out of the way, the sword slamming down into the ground and missing him by a hair's width. Scrambling to his feet, Percy raised Riptide instinctively to block Tartarus' swing. 

The swords clashed with an assonant metallic clang, resounding throughout the cell. 

Percy staggered back by the sheer strength of Tartarus' blow, panting from the effort. His first fight in five years was with a primordial — not the best idea. It was a good thing training those warriors had given him a memory resurge and kept him in shape. 

"Percy!" came Annabeth's shout. 

Percy glanced behind just as a metal object sliced through the air, slamming into Tartarus' torso and pinning him to the wall behind. 

Wasting no time, Percy swung up and through the window, then quickly pulled himself onto the roof of the tower. It was made of slanting brick and was only a few metres wide. 

"This is your plan?" Percy asked incredulously as he crept towards Annabeth. 

Annabeth glared at him. "Like there was any other choice." 

A loud growl pulled their attention away from arguing and to Tartarus, who was pulling himself up towards them, his eyes flashing murderously. 

Percy backed up to the end of the roof, his foot nearly slipping and making him fall over. He peered over the edge; at least a six-storey drop to reach the ground. He squinted to see what hid beneath the fog and dust. 

"It's a moat," Percy realised. 

Annabeth nodded, her eyes still on Tartarus. 

Percy slowly understood what she was getting at. 

"You're crazy," Percy said decidedly. 

Annabeth had drawn her dagger. "There's no other way." She glanced at him. "I've done the calculations. If you can control the water, we probably won't die." 

Percy looked down warily. "Probably." He turned back to Annabeth. 

Her grey eyes were hardened with determination, and blonde curls had come loose from her ponytail to frame her face. 

The only visible difference were the bags beneath her eyes and how prominent her cheekbones and jawline had become. Percy could see her collarbone protruding above the neck of her Camp Half-Blood shirt. 

But she was still Annabeth. 

Percy took a deep breath. "Okay, I trust you." 

Annabeth seemed to avoid his gaze even more. 

"Now?" Percy whispered as Tartarus stalked towards them. 

"Now!" Annabeth shouted as she grabbed Percy's hand and jumped off the tower with him in tow. 

As they hurtled down the tower, air rushing past him at maximum speed and images flashing before his eyes, Percy reached his arm round Annabeth's waits to pull her into him. He didn't want to risk them getting separated. 

As the murky waters of the castle moat came nearer and nearer, Percy let out a yell and the water erupted, swallowing Percy and Annabeth whole into the deep waters.


	10. Escape from the Castle

"What was that down there?" Leo asked quietly. 

He and Jason were walking along the hallway to the meeting point. 

Jason was fiddling with the coin in his pocket, his face a pale shade of white. He refused to meet Leo's eyes. 

"You said to kill them," Jason said monotonously. 

Leo shook his head. "Before that." He sighed. "Jason, I've never seen you like that." 

Jason stopped walking and turned to Leo. His eyes were haunted with fear and regret. "Remember when I asked you about night terrors?" 

Leo slowly nodded. 

Jason looked down at his feet. "Well, recently, I-I've been having, well, nightmares about what happened at Camp Jupiter." 

They shared a moment of silence. 

"What are they like?" 

"I see ghosts," Jason said miserably. "Old friends, people I didn't save. Everyone I love dead." 

"Everyone?" Leo echoed. 

"Everyone," Jason confirmed. "And theres always someone – a good friend – who tells me I could've done more. It was you once." 

Leo didn't know how to react. He still wasn't the best at human contact or comforting friends. Was he supposed to hug Jason? Reach out and pat him on the back? 

"I have them almost every night," Jason said hollowly. "And I-I guess the maid reminded me of it." He turned away. "I can't lose Piper too, Leo. I just can't." 

"You won't," Leo promised. 

Jason gave him a weak smile. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

Leo was suddenly reminded of Calypso. She'd told him the same thing before they'd left for the quest. 

"You'll see her again," Leo insisted. "And when you do, I want you to tell her everything you just told me." 

Jason frantically shook his head. "No. You're the only one who knows. If Piper knew..." He sighed in frustration. "She'd find out that I'm not as strong a person she thinks I am." 

Leo frowned. "Well, she'd be better than me at this by far." 

Jason chuckled. 

"Tell her," Leo said. "Seriously, man–"

A sudden flash of orange in the window next to them, followed by a deafening splash of water snapped Leo and Jason back to reality. 

Leo rushed to the window in alarm and glanced back at Jason in panic. 

"Annabeth," Jason breathed. 

They sprinted through the hallway and burst through the castle doors. 

"Annabeth!" Leo yelled. "Annabeth!" 

He hurried across the drawbridge, towards where he'd seen the splash, Jason at his heels. They came to a halt.

Jason shook his head, a slow grin spreading across his face. "That son of a gun." 

Like something out of a movie, Percy Jackson had resurfaced, his arm wrapped around Annabeth's waist as he manipulated the currents to push them towards the shore. 

Annabeth slid out of his grasp and pulled herself onto land. She wrung her hair and her clothes dry. 

Percy followed suit and dried her instantly with a touch to her shoulder, though she flinched at it and backed away. 

"Percy!" Leo cheered. "I knew you were alive!" 

He attacked Percy with a hug, practically jumping onto him. Percy staggered back, laughing as he tried to regain his balance. 

Jason and Percy shared a hug, Jason unable to stop grinning. "I can't believe you." 

"I know," Percy said with a wink. 

Annabeth cleared her throat. "Hate to break it to you guys, but there's a very angry primordial chasing us down." 

Jason nodded. "Tartarus. A ghost we found in the kitchen told us."

Percy gave him a strange look. 

"Long story," Jason told him. He pivoted in a circle. "Wait, did you find Piper?" He felt his heart start to race. "Where are the others?"

Leo and Annabeth exchanged glances. 

"They'll be here," Annabeth assured him. She glanced back at the castle worriedly. "I'm sure of it."

As if on cue, Hazel, Frank and Piper appeared in the castle's hallway, desperately racing towards the drawbridge, Tartarus in hot pursuit of them with his wicked sword swinging around madly. 

A loud creaking noise drew their attention to the warrior standing by the window on the castle's second storey, winding up the heavy drawbridge as quickly as he could. 

"No!" Jason yelled. He took off into the air on a running start, blasting Tartarus back with a small gust of wind.

Percy grunted as he stabbed Riptide into the ground. 

However, instead of usual tiny tremor, a massive earthquake rippled across Agatha, shaking the demigods off their feet and destroying houses. 

"It's because we're so deep underground," Annabeth shouted as she struggled to get up. "Hurry! We need to go!" 

Cracks started to run across the ground, and stones began to tumble down the castle walls. 

"Stop–the–shaking!" Hazel yelled desperately as she clung onto the drawbridge rails. Are drawbridge was starting to slant as it retracted towards the castle. 

Frank seemed to regain his senses and morphed into a dragon. 

Jason let out a shout as an arc of lightning struck Tartarus in the chest from the tip of his spatha. 

As he landed running, Jason grabbed Piper by the waist and Hazel by the arm as he took off once again into the air. 

The castle was starting to crumble from the sheer strength of the earthquake, but Tartarus was still blasting his magic left and right of Jason and the girls. Jason swooped madly in attempts to dodge the blasts, but even he knew that it was only a matter of time before they were struck. 

"Eat gold!" Hazel shrieked as she reached out a hand and clenched her fist. The black walls of the castle rumbled for a moment before they burst into dust as pieces of gold, jewellery and other precious metals exploded into the air. They fell in a huge flurry of shimmers, burying Tartarus in an enormous pile of treasure. 

Frank the dragon lowered his altitude and grabbed the rest of his friends with his claws. Annabeth quickly leaped onto his back as Frank grabbed Leo and Percy with his claws. 

All seven demigods soared through the air until they came to a tumbling stop at the door they had entered by. Jason touched down, exhausted and perspiring from carrying both Piper and Hazel through the air. 

Frank smashed into the ground, transforming back into a human as he tumbled along. Hazel yanked him up by the arm and ran through the door, followed by Piper and Jason, then Leo and Percy. 

"Go! Go!" Annabeth rushed as she shoved everyone through the door, hurrying inside before slamming it shut behind her. 

She let out a sigh of relief as the door disappeared. She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. 

"Um," Leo was the first to speak through the darkness. "What's going on?" A flame appeared in his palm, lighting up the area around him. 

Annabeth's eyes scanned her surroundings. There was only dried grass covering the ground, with no sign of the staircase that had brought them down in the first place. 

Something wasn't right. 

"Where's the stairs?" Frank asked, his voice slightly higher with panic. 

"It's gone," Hazel realised. 

A low cackling filled the air. "How strong can you be?" a sickly voice cooed. 

"Who's there?" Jason demanded. 

Annabeth sucked in a breath like she had been punched in the gut. "The test isn't to get into Agatha. It's to get out." 

Her mind was racing at blinding speed. A sickly voice, disappearing stairs and trickery. 

"Apate," Annabeth said loudly as she stepped away from her friends and further into the plains. She held her bronze dagger out for light. "Goddess of mischief and trickery." 

There was a loud clearing of a throat. 

"And Dolos," Annabeth realised. "Her counterpart." 

"Indeed," the male voice said. 

"Patron gods of Agatha," Annabeth said with a sigh. 

The darkness seemed to bend as two figures appeared in the middle of the plain. 

A tall woman with black hair in a bun – or was it blonde beach waves? Her appearance kept flickering, confusing Annabeth even more. 

At her side stood an even taller, even skinnier man, with long, spindly fingers and a wicked smirk. 

Apate tutted. "You don't sound happy to see us, Annabeth Chase." She laughed at Annabeth's surprise. "Yes, I've heard all about you. You and the boy – Perseus Jackson. Heroes of Olympus." 

"Um, it's Percy," Percy told her. 

"Bah!" Dolos scoffed. He turned to Apate. "Why are we waiting so long to pulverise them? It's the only reason I agreed to this whole scheme of yours." 

Apate calmed him by slipping her hand in his. She turned back to the demigods. "As for the rest of you, don't feel forgotten. I know all of you. I make it a note to study up on potential nuisances. It makes it so much more fun to watch you squirm." 

"What's the plan?" Percy hissed. 

Annabeth silenced him with a glare. 

"As you know," Dolos started. "A test is required to get out of Agatha. A test of strength and ability." 

"If we fail?" Piper asked. 

"You die," Dolos said simply. 

"And if we succeed?"

Apate flourished her arms towards a door behind her. "You may leave." 

"No," Annabeth said. 

Apate's face fell. "What?" 

"No," Annabeth repeated. "The stakes aren't worth the risk. We just won't participate, I guess." She sheathed her dagger as if to make it final. 

Percy exchanged glances with his friends. They didn't know what Annabeth was up to either. 

Athena always has a plan. Annabeth had told him that once. 

Annabeth didn't seem to have anything planned by the look on her face, but Percy decided to take the chance. 

"What do you mean "don't participate"?" Apate demanded. 

Annabeth shrugged. "So I get to leave Agatha if I pas your stupid test?" 

"It's a mastery of tricks," Apate insisted. 

Annabeth snorted. "I don't see why I should bother with it. It's not that amazing. You want to trick me? You'll have to give me better options." 

"I'll give you some ideas on how to trick your questmates!" Apate said triumphantly. 

Annabeth folded her arms obstinately. "Not good enough." 

"The newest prank equipment!" 

"Boring."

"How about something you never knew about yourself?" 

Annabeth looked intrigued, but she shook her head. "Not enough, but it's getting better." 

"I'll give you a clue," Apate said eagerly. "To help you on your already impossible quest." 

Annabeth pursed her lips. "A clue?" 

Apate nodded with a small smirk, knowing she had the demigod's attention. "You won't succeed without it." 

Annabeth thought for a moment. "Alright. Swear on the River Styx." 

"I swear on the River Styx," Apate vowed. 

Even underground, they could hear the rumbling of thunder in the sky that always followed a vow on the Styx. 

Dolos was grinning. "I underestimated you, Annabeth Chase." 

Annabeth held her head high defiantly. 

"I suppose the mightiest are always the first to fall," Dolos mused. 

Apate shushed him again with a giggle. She took his hand. 

"Good luck, heroes," Apate said as she cackled. "It's shame that none of you will pass the test." 

Annabeth started forward in alarm, but the gods had already disappeared from sight. 

A loud laughing filled the air once again. 

"Rise!" Dolos boomed. "Rise!" 

The ground in front of the exit door started to crack. 

First a hand, then another. Seven figures started to claw their way out from the ground. 

"What's going on?" Annabeth shouted. "Apate!" 

The seven demigods scattered nervously, drawing their weapons. 

"You aren't supposed to raise the dead," Hazel murmured, her eyes fixed on the creatures. 

"The test," Apate chuckled. "They always think they can undermine me. But I am the goddess of deceit." 

The first creature's head snapped up. 

Annabeth staggered back with a choking gasp. 

"Luke?"


	11. The Battle of the Bed

Percy's eyes widened as he saw the first creature. 

It was Luke. Luke Castellan. 

The blonde hair, the scar, the same crooked smirk. It was unmistakeable him. 

"How?" Percy whispered. 

Annabeth had nearly dropped her dagger in shock, and she was frozen in place. 

More gasps and shouts erupted from his friends as the other creatures started to growl and start forward. 

Percy recognised some faces. 

One was Sammy Valdez – Hazel's old sweetheart and Leo's greatgrand-father. But his eyes swirled with green and his mouth was twisted into an unnatural sneer. 

Another was a familiar face Percy recognised from pictures in Piper's room – Tristan McLean, the famous actor and her father. 

"You can fight, young demigods," Apate's voice reverberated deafeningly. "But can you fight them?" 

Percy's gaze finally landed on the person in front of him. The dark skin and hair were all too familiar. It made him go ashen. 

"Percy," Charles Beckendorf sneered. He drew two massive bronze swords. "Ready to die?" 

The seven zombies charged at once, howling and screaming battle cries. They smashed into the demigods with full strength, into people who had never in their worst nightmares ever thought of having to fight them. 

Percy raised Riptide instinctively, keeping Beckendorf from slicing him into ribbons. He parried another strike and dodged the other sword. 

Percy stumbled backwards. "Beckendorf–"

"Surprised to see me?" Beckendorf snarled. "After you left me for dead on that godforsaken cruise ship?" 

Percy swallowed. He felt sick to the stomach. "Beckendorf, this isn't you–"

He was cut off as Beckendorf whirled around and slammed the flat of his blade into Percy's side, knocking him to the ground. 

Percy gasped for breath as he scrambled backwards, narrowly missing Beckendorf's next attack. 

Beckendorf's eyes were churning with bright, green mist.

Percy glanced to his right, where Annabeth was busy fighting Luke. He whirled around like a madman, slashing, ducking and rolling before striking her again. 

Annabeth was struggling to keep up, her eyes filled with horror as she was forced to fight the one person she had considered a brother. 

"I won't fight you, Luke!" she sobbed as she deflected another blow. 

It spurred Percy on and gave him strength to press on. He's already dead, Percy reminded himself bitterly. 

He slashed Riptide across in a wide arc, forcing Beckendorf to defend as Percy ran forward and slashed at his knees. 

Beckendorf howled at the cuts on his shins as he almost keeled over in agony. 

Percy made to slam the hilt of his sword against Beckendorf's head, but Beckendorf parried the strike and sliced his swords at Percy. 

They nicked his side, making Percy wince as he clutched his abdomen. The blood was soaking into his shirt and the cuts were throbbing badly. 

Percy forced himself to regain his stance as Beckendorf cane flying at him again. He pushed him back with Riptide and kicked him in the stomach. 

As Beckendorf attempted to raise his swords to strike again, Percy caught a small infraction in his form.

It was his only chance and he took it, immediately running Riptide through Beckendorf's gut, and yanking it out with a sickening squelch. 

Beckendorf gurgled as he staggered backwards from the strength of the strike. His eyes seemed to flicker back from the wound in his stomach and back to Percy. His swords clattered to the ground as Beckendorf collapsed, his back hitting the floor with a sickening thump. 

"Percy?" Beckendorf choked. His voice no longer sounded hollow, just cracked. The green mist in his eyes dispelled, and it was just a dying Beckendorf gasping in pain as he stared blindly into the sky. 

Percy dropped Riptide and fell to his knees next to his old friend. "Beckendorf," Percy whispered, the realisation of his actions starting to creep up on him. 

"Silena..." Beckendorf trailed off as he stared again at his wound. He fumbled for Percy's hand. "Percy, I-I'm dying..." His trembling voice suddenly went silent. 

Beckendorf's eyes went glassy and his hand went slack as his chest ceased heaving and remained motionless. Unmoving. 

Percy fell back into a sitting position in shock, panting heavily from the fight. 

Beckendorf was dead again. And this time, no one could tell him it wasn't his fault. 

Percy grasped Riptide by the hilt and closed his eyes. A tear traced its way down his face. 

But he'd passed the test. 

Then why did he feel so much regret? 

^^^^^

"Mamá!" Leo cried as he dodged the second attack. 

It was Esperanza Valdez, a knife in hand and a cruel expression as she ruthlessly pummelled Leo with kicks and slashes. 

"Stop!" Leo shouted. 

He stumbled back, almost caught on the edge of the blade. 

"Fight me, Leo," she rasped. "Surely I did not raise you to be weak?" 

Leo pulled out a hammer from his tool belt and blocked her next strike. "I won't fight you," he said tearily. "I won't." 

He remembered his mother wrapping him in a loving embrace, kissing him on the head when he fell down the stairs, and the loving glow that seemed to follow her everywhere she went. 

He wouldn't fight her. 

His mother halted her attacks and growled, "Maybe a greater motivation would help." 

She stepped away from Leo and started sprinting in another direction – towards Jason who was trying to remain alive whilst remaining defensive against his dead mother. 

Jason had changed his coin into a spatha and was rapidly parrying and blocking strikes from his mother. 

Leo recognised her only from Piper's description. It was a strange sight to see a tall, beautiful woman with blue doe-eyes and fluffy blonde hair wielding a huge sword in hot pink high heels. There was something about her that reminded Leo of Thalia. 

A bead of perspiration rolled down Jason's brow as he blasted his mother off her feet with a small gust of wind. Leo guessed that Jason was exhausted from continuously using his powers and the constant battling. 

Unfortunately, the day was far from over. Leo's mother took a flying leap, knives flashing as she flew through the air towards Jason's unprotected back. 

"Jason!" Leo yelled in warning as he raced towards his best friend as quickly as he could. 

Jason spun around and his eyes widened in alarm, but he flipped his spatha into a sword and promptly pushed Leo's mother back. 

Leo slapped Beryl Grace's sword away with his hammer and poked her in the side with the handle. 

Esperanza slashed at Jason – her two knives made better offense than Jason's sword. Jason dodged left and right, pushing away some strikes. 

Leo summoned a palm of fire and through a fireball at Beryl Grace, making her dress erupt into flames. She stopped attacking to beat out the flames in panic. 

Leo's mother's knives caught Jason's wrist, drawing blood and making him drop his sword with a yell of pain. She swept the flat of her knives along his shins, flooring him completely. 

"Jason!" Leo shouted, hurrying towards his friend's aid. 

Jason winced and pulled up a hand to cover his face as Esperanza brought down her knives on his face. 

The blades never met their mark. 

Quick as lightning, Leo's fireball ricocheted through the air and slammed into his mother with an explosion of light. 

She was blown backwards and onto the ground, leaving Jason slightly seared and breathing heavily from his near brush with death. 

Leo raced to his mother's side. 

She was lying on the ground, her skin scorched and blistering as her clothes burned. 

"Mijo," she whispered, pulling out a broken sob from Leo. Her previously green eyes had faded into their usual warm brown. 

"Mamá," Leo choked out. "No." 

She was dying by fire all over again. And this time, he had been the one to kill her. 

His mother slowly raised a trembling hand towards his face. Her fingers just brushed his cheek before her arm fell to the ground with a thud, her eyelids fluttering close until she was completely still. 

Leo stood up with a grave expression, sliding his hammer back into his tool bag. He blinked the tears from his eyes. 

Jason couldn't look at her body. "I'm sorry." 

Leo shook his head. "I couldn't let her kill you." 

Jason clutched his sword tighter. He glanced towards where his mother had finally extinguished the flames on her dress and was starting to regain her stance. 

She clutched her sword and growled at him. 

Jason swallowed. He raised his sword, and with a clap of thunder, a bolt of lightning struck his mother's form. 

Leo turned away as her sudden scream was cut off. He turned back nervously. All that remained of Beryl Grace was a charred spot on the ground. 

"Quick and painless," Jason choked, his shaking voice breaking on the last word. His hand was trembling as he flipped his sword back into a coin. 

Leo stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Jason, pulling him into a hug. Jason's cries were muffled against Leo's shoulder as they stood on the battlefield. 

^^^^^

Annabeth spun around to block Luke's strike, before dodging the next one and parrying the third. Her vision was blurry from tears. 

"Family," Luke snarled. "I promised, Annie, didn't I?" 

He brought Backbiter down on her, making Annabeth wince in the effort of having to block it. 

"Well, everyone breaks promises," Luke growled. "The world is a disappointing place. And look at you now; you have to kill me if you want your friends to live." 

"I won't fight you," Annabeth said through gritted teeth as she tried the disarming technique. 

Luke pulled his sword back and snickered. "I invented that technique; you think you can use it on me?" 

Annabeth caught his next slash on the hilt of her dagger and slammed it back towards him. 

"You won't fight me," Luke mused. "Will you?" 

Annabeth ignored him. They were stuck in a dangerous dance of blades as her dagger and his sword clashed and twirled in the air. 

Luke started moving more quickly. He clearly hadn't even been trying. Annabeth started to struggle to keep up with his strikes. She couldn't keep fighting defensively or she would lose. 

Annabeth glanced sideways. All her friends were preoccupied. 

Piper had already bested her father and was fighting alongside Frank against his grandmother. Piper's eyes were burning with tears, and Frank couldn't even bring himself to strike his grandmother. 

Hazel was desperately trying to reason with Sammy, while Leo and Jason were fighting their mothers. Percy had sunk to his knees beside a broken body – Annabeth hadn't seen the face. 

"None of them can kill me," Luke told her. "Only you can." 

Annabeth clenched her fist. "I won't." 

Luke smirked. "I know. That's the beauty of Apate and Dolos." His blue eyes swirled with whirlpools of green mist. "You can't beat them." 

Annabeth landed a kick on Luke's arm, making him wince. 

"You're better than you used to be," Luke told her. "It's too bad you won't live to see the rest of your friends die."

She didn't reply. 

"Oh, and Thalia," Luke added. "Well, we have something special for her. How much you will squirm as you see her being struck again and again, until her skin breaks and her blood runs along the–"

"Shut up!" Annabeth yelled, slicing her knife across Luke's side. 

Blood pooled from the cut and stained his shirt, but Luke's maniacal grin never faltered. 

"And Piper. She's very pretty," Luke said. "Your new best friend, maybe? Maybe we'll kill her in front of you. And Jason, of course. He couldn't miss that." 

Annabeth saw in her mind all the times he'd hurt her. The time he had released a scorpion on Percy, when he had nearly killed Thalia, when he had tricked Annabeth into taking the sky.

Her anger only grew as memories flashed past her brain. 

"And Percy?" Luke said at last. "Good old Percy. He's always been there, hasn't he? And I know you're trying to pretend otherwise, but you care about him the most." 

Annabeth gritted her teeth. "Luke, stop." 

Luke ignored her. "He was always your great love, and he always will be. You can't let go of him even though he's hurt you even more than I have." 

"I said, stop!"

"He'll be the last one to go," Luke sneered. "But you'll be alive, even though you'll wish you were dead." 

Annabeth cried out as she slammed her dagger into Luke's lower abdomen. 

His eyes widened as he looked down at the knife sticking grotesquely out of his body. 

"You would..." Luke gasped. "...kill...me?"

Annabeth stared into his eyes in horror as blood started to stain his shirt. She hadn't meant to stab him. "Luke, no..." 

She didn't see his hand lift his sword again. 

Annabeth let out a blood-curdling scream of agony as Backbiter slashed across her stomach. 

Luke's broken form fell to the ground as Annabeth staggered back, gasping for breath. 

Everything was starting to spin around her, and her mind was starting to whirl. Finally, her eyelids fluttered shut and her body crumpled onto the dead grass. 

Percy's head had snapped up in fear when her scream had sounded, and now he watched in horror as her broken figure collapsed to the ground. 

He scrambled to his feet and ran towards her, sliding down to his knees by her side. Her chest was heaving rapidly, and the cut on her stomach extended across her abdomen. 

"Percy!" 

He turned around to see Frank shouting for him. Frank's eyes were red-rimmed as he and Piper clutched onto each other for dear life. Piper was sobbing into his shoulder, barely even able to stumble forward. Leo was helping Jason across the field towards them, both of them shocked to their cores. Hazel merely stood by Sammy's body, tears streaming down her face as she stared down at her dead friend. 

"We-we have to go!" Piper cried. She gestured to the door. 

"Annabeth's hurt!" Percy shouted back. "It's bad, I don't think I can move her!" 

Piper looked like she was about to collapse. "Bring her! We have to!" 

She and Frank started hobbling towards the door, which Hazel had already opened. 

"Wait!" Percy's voice echoed around the plain. "Apate! Dolos! Your promise to Annabeth!" 

There was a terrifying silence before Apate said, "Darkness trumps the light, heroes near their blight." She cackled again. "Enjoy, young demigods." 

Percy recited the line in his mind like a mantra as he slid his arms under Annabeth and lifted her up. She was light as a feather, which was slightly worrying. 

The demigods stumbled out of the door and up the steps, barely making it to the top in their tangled mess of tears, fear and shell-shock.

Along the stairs, Hazel grabbed Frank's hand. "Everyone, link up. I'm getting us out of here." 

Trembling hands found each other and shaking fingers laced together. 

Hazel squeezed her eyes shut. 

She tried to push out the reminders of Sammy's agonising cries and his look of betrayal as the light in his eyes had died for a second time. 

He was her first love. 

She stepped into the Frank's shadow and the seven demigods disappeared through her sheer determination, reappearing on the deck of the Argo II.


	12. No More Secrets

Hazel stumbled backwards and nearly passed out from sheer exhaustion. Her eyelids had never felt so heavy, nor had her muscles ever felt that sore. 

"She's bleeding out!" Percy started shouting. He set Annabeth down on the deck, his eyes flashing with panic. "We need to do something!" 

Piper knelt down next to them. She seemed to have come out of her shock. "Uh, right." She shook her head and groaned in frustration. "I know this. Okay, okay, we need to apply pressure on the wound to slow the bleeding. Leo get the first aid kit, Jason get water. I need a cloth!" 

Leo and Jason stumbled down the steps to get everything Piper needed. 

Piper shakily took out Katoptris from her belt loop and cut a slit through Annabeth shirt to open it up to see the wound. 

Percy nearly cried out. 

Her ribs were pressing against her skin, and her hip bones were visible above the waistband of her jeans. 

"Why..." Percy's voice cracked and he fell silent. 

"Look, that's-that's another problem," Piper managed. "We need to save her life first."

Percy absently shrugged off his ragged shirt and bunched it up into a ball. He couldn't stop the tears welling up in his eyes. 

"Any excuse to take off your shirt," Leo tried to lighten the mood as he walked back up, but he halted in his tracks as he saw the state Annabeth was it. Jason stopped at his side in horror. 

"She didn't eat much," Frank murmured as he recalled their days aboard the Argo II. 

"Guys, focus!" Piper yelled. 

Percy blinked. He pressed his shirt onto part of Annabeth's wound, while Jason applied pressure to the other side with a cloth. 

Hazel force-fed Annabeth ambrosia as Piper quickly threaded a sterilised needle with thread. 

"Okay, remove," Piper ordered, and Percy and Jason retreated. 

Frank dabbed Annabeth's wound with antiseptic from the kit before pouring nectar into the cut. 

The bleeding instantly decreased once the godly food had been ingested, but the laceration was still deep. 

Percy watched with a racing heart as Piper stitched the wound shut and wrapped bandages all around Annabeth's torso. 

She fell back with exhaustion, breathing heavily as she took a breath of relief. 

Annabeth was breathing normally and remained unconscious, but the bleeding had stopped and the wound was closed. 

"She should take nectar when she wakes up," Piper said tiredly. She closed the first aid kit. "I'll patch the rest of you up in the infirmary." 

Jason reached out for her shoulder. "Piper, you look exhausted. Take a break. You just saved Annabeth's life."

"I'll do the rest," Percy promised her. He grabbed the kit and packets of ambrosia. "Just eat whatever you guys need without exploding." 

Leo suddenly laughed. "I just," he chuckled. "I can't believe you're actually here." 

The others started to laugh with him as they drank in the fact that they were all alive, with Percy and Piper back. 

"I missed you, you idiot," Hazel said softly as she gave Percy a kiss on the cheek. Jason, Leo and Frank gave Percy a hug. 

Percy glanced at Piper, his gaze flickering down to her abdomen. He had completely forgotten about the baby. 

Not now, her eyes said. 

Percy nodded infinitesimally. He gingerly carried Annabeth in his arms again. "I should get her to an infirmary bed." 

Before he left, Piper stood up and stopped him. "Wait, Percy." She swallowed. "I think, I think Annabeth did this to herself." 

When his eyebrows furrowed, Piper explained, "There's this mortal condition. It's called anorexia. I-I'll explain another time. But it's just a theory. I don't know if she's actually..." 

"Starving herself," Percy finished. He'd heard of anorexia. There was a girl in his old school who was said to have had it. She hadn't returned after being admitted to the hospital one day. 

Percy looked down at Annabeth. She looked so peaceful when she was sleeping, the hint of a smile on her lips. He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear fondly. 

"She'll be okay," Piper told him. "We're going to help her through this." 

Percy nodded absently. "Yeah." 

This is your fault, he couldn't help but think. You left her and this happened. You broke your promise and you disappeared. 

He followed the steps down to the infirmary. 

"I should..." Leo gestured to the bow of the ship. "We should leave before Tartarus finds–"

"Um, guys," Hazel said suddenly. "I think I might pass out." She blinked rapidly. "Nico said shadow-travel was tiring, but..." Hazel trailed off as she fell into Frank. She slowly regained her footing. "I'm going to–I'm going to sleep now." 

Leo nodded. "Go, get some rest." He yawned. "I'll set us towards Fokia. It's supposed to be a peaceful isle in Gavdos, so let's pray it is." 

"Sure," Hazel shrugged. "Just steer clear of Antikythera. There's a bad energy." 

She and Frank retreated downstairs as Leo walked towards the stern, leaving Piper and Jason alone for the first time in nearly a month. 

Piper slumped down on the couch, and Jason walked over to join her. 

"We never really got a chance to say 'hi'," Jason murmured as he pulled Piper towards him and kissed her passionately. 

Piper drew away, her hand still clasped in his. "I missed you." 

"Me too," Jason said. He shook his head. "When I thought you were dead..." 

Piper cupped his face with her hand and kissed him lightly. "When I thought you were dead..." She bit her lip. "I never want to go through that ever again," she whispered. 

Jason squeezed her hand. "I love you." He look down at their entwined hands. "Piper," he started hesitantly.

"Yeah?" 

"When you disappeared," Jason said tentatively. "I was so angry. I-I don't know what came over me. I mean, at the castle, I threatened a maid's baby to get information on you and I just–" He cut himself off by burying his face in his hands. 

Piper kissed his forehead and shushed him.

"You should've seen me, Pipes," Jason said miserably. "I was a monster. I wouldn't have recognised myself. And I knew how disappointed you would be in me if you saw that. Because you would've realised I'm not that perfect." 

He shook his head. "Piper, I'm not okay. I haven't been for a while now. It's been five year since Camp Jupiter was destroyed, and I still have nightmares about it today." 

Piper frowned. "What?" 

Jason sighed. "I wake up in cold sweat. I cant sleep. I see old friends, ghosts, and people telling me I could've saved them." 

"Oh gods," Piper breathed. "Jason, why didn't you tell me?" 

"I was afraid you'd think I was weak," Jason said quietly. 

Piper kissed him again. "Never think that, Jason. You're one of the strongest people I know." 

Jason smiled weakly. "You have no idea what it's like now that you know. It's like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders." 

Piper leaned into him. 

"No more secrets," Jason vowed. "No more secrets between us from now on, yeah?" 

"Yeah." Piper lay her hand on her stomach, feeling the baby in her womb like a heavy rock. "No more secrets." 

She glanced up at Jason. His eyes so relieved and a small smile on his face. 

How could she break the news to him now? How could she ruin this rare moment of happiness he was feeling? 

So Piper sat there with her hand in his, staring at the wall and wondering how she was ever going to get out of his impossible predicament she had landed herself in. 

^^^^^

"You sure you're okay?" Frank asked again. 

Hazel nodded meekly.

She sat down on her bed as Frank stood by the door uncertainly. 

"Oh, come in," Hazel said. "We're adults and Coach Hedge isn't even close by." 

Frank blushed, but came to sit on the edge of her bed. Hazel shuffled closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. 

"How was it?" Hazel asked softly. "Having to fight your grandmother." 

Frank looked down at his feet. "I couldn't. I couldn't fight her, Hazel. She was my last living family – and I thought she might have been alive..." He shook his head painfully. 

Hazel slid her hand into his. "I know." 

"I loved her so much," Frank's voice cracked as he buried his face in her shoulder. 

Hazel recovered from her surprise and wrapped her arms around Frank. She ran her hand up and down his back comfortingly. "I'm here," was all she said. 

It was all that mattered right now.

"And Sammy?" Frank asked in a small voice. 

Hazel swallowed. She stared at the wall. 

She didn't want to think about Sammy. 

She didn't want to think about how she had rammed her longsword through his gut, tears streaming down her face as he cried out in pain. 

She was afraid if she did that she would burst into tears. 

Frank gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "You can talk to me." He sat back up to look at her. 

Hazel fiddled with her hands. "At first, he wasn't Sammy at all. He was sneering and he was cruel. It made it easier to–" She closed her eyes. "–to fight him." 

She bit her lip. "Frank, gods, he was my best friend. My only friend. And I was in love with him." 

She said Hazel's great danger would not happen in my lifetime. But I promised I would be there for her. You will have to tell her I'm sorry, Leo. Help her if you can.

Hazel had seen Sammy saying that to Leo in her flashback. 

Sammy had promised to always be there for her, and Hazel had betrayed him completely. She had killed him. Both times. 

In her first life, it was the cursed diamond. And now, she had condemned him back to Hades just so she could live. 

"It's not fair," Hazel said quietly. "That he should die so that I could live. It isn't fair at all." 

"Life just isn't," Frank said sympathetically. 

"I hate them," Hazel told him. "Apate and Dolos. I've never hated many people but I hate them." 

Frank nodded in agreement. "Trickery and deceit is worse than outright violence, in my opinion." 

"And all for a stupid limerick that doesn't even make sense," Hazel said bitterly. "Darkness trumps the light, heroes near their blight. What does it mean?" 

Frank sighed. "I've learnt long ago that deciphering prophecies only give me a bigger headache." 

Hazel laughed softly. 

Frank stood up. "I'll let you sleep now."

"Wait, Frank," she said hesitantly. "I don't want to be alone right now." 

Frank kissed her forehead. "Okay." 

They climbed under the covers, Hazel snuggling into Frank's warm embrace. 

He wrapped his arms around her and she buried her head in his chest. 

"I love you," Hazel murmured. 

"I love you too," came Frank's reply.


	13. Crew Meeting

"Percy," someone hissed. "Wake up." 

Percy was shaken awake, his vision blurry and his mind still sleepy. As he blinked the world into focus, Piper's concerned expression came into view, her kaleidoscope eyes looking at him with worry. 

"Why did you sleep here?" Piper asked him. "You should've gone back to you room." 

Percy yawned and slowly sat up on the couch. He glanced to his right, where Annabeth was still unconscious, though her face was no longer a sickly pale colour, and now had some colour to it. 

He'd been afraid Annabeth would wake up during the night, and he didn't want her to be alone when she regained consciousness. Percy was also anxious to see how she was, after the cold way she had treated him the day before. 

In addition, she wasn't getting enough food, which could seriously affect her health. 

"I didn't know I had a room," Percy said finally. 

Piper rolled her eyes. "Leo and Annabeth rebuilt the ship. Of course, you have a room. It's between Frank's and Jason's because you're the deepest sleeper and they snore the loudest." 

Percy chuckled. "It's good to be back." 

He stood up and groaned. His muscles were sore from the fight, and from actually being able to walk around freely for the first time in five years. 

For once, he didn't have an interrogation or a training session with the warriors scheduled. He could eat however much he wanted and drink as much blue Coke as he wished. 

Percy decided the first thing he needed was a really good cheeseburger. He hadn't had one in the longest time. 

"It's a crew meeting in the living room," Piper explained. "Jason sent me to get you." 

"You haven't told him yet," Percy realised as he studied her face. 

Piper looked down in regret. "I know. I just couldn't. He was so happy to see me yesterday, I didn't know how he would react if I told him."

"You'll have to tell him soon," Percy said gently. 

"I know," Piper said miserably. "It's been over three months. I'm going to start showing soon." 

Percy nudged her in the side. "Ready for the morning sickness?" 

Piper pulled a face. "Can't wait." 

"Don't worry, I'm like the pregnancy expert," Percy told her proudly. "I helped my mum a lot when she was pregnant with Estelle. I know all about the trimesters and stuff." 

"You can be my temporary OB/GYN," Piper said. 

"I don't think I'm equipped to deliver a baby," Percy said nervously. 

"Hopefully the quest will be over by then," Piper said wistfully. "I don't want to be seasick when I'm in labour." 

"Hey." Hazel poked her head inside he infirmary. "We're waiting for you guys." 

"Sorry, he wouldn't budge," Piper apologised. 

"Don't blame me!" Percy protested as the two girls dragged him upstairs. 

As Percy entered the dining hall, he was hit with a massive ripple of déjà vu from head to toe. It wasn't much different from their first quest together. 

Percy glanced at the chair at the head of the table, where he and Jason had both awkwardly tried to sit in it before allowing Annabeth to take the lead. 

Just being on the ship was bringing back a whole whirlwind of memories. 

The walls were still covered in paintings of Camp Half-Blood, and Percy's heart ached in longing to return to his old home. But he knew it would be a long time before he ever saw it in person – if he ever did. 

"You look exhausted," Leo noted as Percy took a seat at the table. He slid one of the magic plates cross to Percy. 

Percy quietly asked for a cheeseburger, and he dug into it as soon as it appeared. 

"So, we need to decide where we're going next," Jason said seriously, pacing about the room. His hands were clasped together and his brow furrowed in worry. "According to Leo, we're currently in the peaceful Fokia, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Tartarus finds us, so we need to get a move on." 

"The prophecy's already began," Hazel pointed out. "'To the village at the core, five must go. Face their past and fight new foes.'"

Piper nodded in agreement. "We went to Agatha, found our 'past' – the Battle of the Dead – and fought 'new foes' – Tartarus and the warriors." 

She slid a piece of paper over to Percy, with what he assumed was the prophecy written on it. 

To the village at the core, five must go,   
Face their past and fight new foes.   
The key to the sky lies with the day,   
the blade to raise with memory.   
Power attained with singing praise,   
one side will crumble, one side will raze.

"What's up with the whole 'sky' thing?" Percy asked. 

Jason sighed. "No idea. That's what we're trying to figure out." 

"The prophecy makes no sense," Leo protested. "We're at a dead end." 

"All prophecies are like this," Piper insisted. "We just need to think. 'Sky', 'memory', 'day'. Something connects it all." 

"Abstract nouns?" Leo said blandly. 

"Maybe we should wait till Annabeth wakes up," Frank said at last. "That might help–"

"Wait," Percy said suddenly. The word 'memory' had triggered something in his mind, nagging at an old memory. He recalled writing a book on the Greek Gods for a New York publisher, the countless hours of research and spellchecks. "'Memory'. What if it refers to Memory? Like, with a capital 'M'." He glanced at his friends. "The Titan? Wasn't she the Titan of memory?" 

Jason snapped his fingers. "Mnesmosyne!" 

Leo held up a hand. "Now hold on a second–"

But Percy was on a roll. "And that means that 'sky' must be Ouranos, and 'day' is–"

"Hemera," Jason finished with a grin. 

"Okay," Leo interrupted. "Explain for us lesser beings, please?" 

Jason gestures impatiently. "Ouranos was the primordial of the sky – Gaia's first husband. Until their son Kronos castrated him and chopped him into a million pieces." 

Frank winced. "Ouch." 

"What does he have to do with this?" Piper asked in confusion. "The key to Ouranos?" 

"To his power," Percy realised. "The fifth line of the prophecy. 'Power attained with singing praise.' It's something about the power of Ouranos." 

"And singing praise?" Piper asked. 

"A spell," Hazel replied. "Hecate used to chant her spells through hymns and songs. It just means a spell to unlock Ouranos' power." 

"Would we be able to use the power?" Leo wondered aloud. "I'd love to pummel Tartarus with some sky beams." 

"It must be the key to destroying them," Jason reasoned. "Primordials have been destroyed before. We just needed the right power." 

"But how are we going to get to it? It says we need a blade and a spell," Piper reminded them. 

Percy felt prickling dread start to creep up on him. "One of them lies with Hemera. What did Apate say?" 

"Darkness trumps the light, heroes near their blight..." Hazel trailed off at the last word. 

Percy sighed. "Nyx has captured Hemera. She would've brought her back to her palace." 

A silence overtook the crew of the Argo II. 

"You don't suppose she moved to someplace else?" Leo said weakly. "Maine, maybe? California? The Maldives?" 

Percy swallowed. "She'll be in Tartarus; the pit itself." 

The same thought moved through their minds. 

How were they going to find Hemera if she was in Tartarus? 

"Let's not worry about that," Jason said half-heartedly. "We'll figure it out another time. More importantly, we don't have a clue about Mnemosyne's whereabouts." 

Hazel sighed. "If this quest wasn't already impossible, it is now." 

Jason slumped into a chair, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "What an amazing start." 

^^^^^

Annabeth stirred slowly, light flooding her vision as her eyelids flickered open. Her gaze sleepily swept her surroundings, passing by a couch, a bright light, a ceiling...and Percy. 

Annabeth awoke with a jolt when she saw his face, slumbering peacefully away on an armchair. His head was lolled back and his raven hair tousled, and of course, a small dribble of drool near his chin. 

Annabeth forced herself to look away. 

She let out a soft groan as she shifted into a sitting position. Tracing the source of the pain back to her stomach, Annabeth lifted up her shirt to see white bandages wrapped around her abdomen. She lifted them up slightly to reveal a nasty-looking stitch across her body, holding a red slash together. 

Memories of fighting Luke swamped her brain, and Annabeth was suddenly reminded of the betrayal on his face when she had stabbed him. 

Annabeth slowly swung her legs to the side of her bed and gripped the bedpost as she attempted to stand up. 

Unfortunately, the bed creaked loudly, awakening Percy with a loud snort and alarmed expression as his eyes sprung open. "Huh, wha–?"

When his gaze landed on Annabeth, he relaxed slightly. "Oh, it's just you." Then Percy sprung to his feet, eyes wide "Oh my gods, you're awake!" 

Annabeth pursed her lips. 

A light blush filled his cheeks as he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Sorry," Percy muttered. 

"You didn't have to wait for me to wake up," Annabeth told him. "You're clearly exhausted. Go get some sleep." 

Percy shook his head. "You need to get some sleep. You almost died, Annabeth." 

Annabeth waved a hand dismissively. "It was a careless mistake. I shouldn't have let my guard down." 

Percy raised an eyebrow. "I think we can excuse it." 

Annabeth released the bedpost and stumbled forward at the sudden pain that shot through her torso. She hissed and stumbled forward, Percy catching her by the arm. 

"What do you think you're doing?" Percy demanded. "You're injured. You're on bed rest." 

Annabeth scowled. "I'm going to talk to the others about the prophecy. We need to start planning our next move." 

Percy eyed her warily. 

"I'm fine," she insisted. 

Percy reluctantly started to help her up the stairs. 

Annabeth tried to remove her hand from his grip. "I can walk by myself." 

Percy rolled his eyes. "If I let you go, you'll probably fall down the stairs and break your neck." 

They arrived on the dining hall, still arguing back and forth. 

"You're awake!" Piper's eyes lit up when she saw her friend. 

Annabeth turned away from Percy and smiled at her. They quickly filled her in Percy's deduction and their understanding on the prophecy so far. 

Leo handed her the notes he'd made on a napkin. 

"So Hemera's in Tartarus," Annabeth said despairingly. "Mnemosyne is somewhere around – possibly not even on Earth – and Tartarus is about to destroy camp." She sat down with a defeated sigh. "Brilliant." 

"Destroy camp?" Leo repeated in horror. 

Annabeth nodded with a deflated expression. "I overheard him talking about it. He said on Olympus' most important day." 

"He was asking me for information about camp," Percy added. "I didn't tell him, of course." 

Annabeth tried to ignore the prominent scars on Percy's arms. 

"Is it the summer solstice?" Frank guessed. 

Jason shook his head with a frown. "That's over soon. Tartarus didn't seem at all prepared for a war." 

"Winter solstice?" 

"Too far away," Hazel said decidedly. 

"Oh my gods," Annabeth suddenly said. "He's going to attack on August 18th." 

Percy turned to look at her in utter puzzlement. "My birthday?" 

"The end of the second Titan War," Annabeth corrected. 

And the day you began dating, a part of her mind reminded her. 

She ignored it. 

"It's a day of celebration on Olympus," Annabeth continued. "They defeated Typhon and quashed the first major uprising of the millennium." 

"August 18th?" Leo said. "That's in two months." 

Annabeth nodded. "We'll have to find the blade and spell before then." 

Leo was the first to speak. "But who has what?" 

Annabeth sighed. "We don't know." 

"How do we even find Mnemosyne?" Frank asked. "Didn't all the Titans basically disappear after the Olympians took over?" 

Hazel shook her head. "Not completely. We just have to find them." 

"Mnemosyne is somewhere on Earth," Annabeth reasoned. "Only one person knows everything that goes on on Earth." 

"Gaia," Piper realised. 

"Woah." Frank took a step back. "Waking Gaia? Do you guys not remember the last time we ran around for three months trying to put her back to sleep?" 

"Not wake her up completely," Annabeth insisted. "More like, speak to part of her consciousness." 

"Would she even help us?" Leo asked. "She hates demigods, doesn't she?" 

"I can charmspeak her into telling us where Mnemosyne is," Piper suggested. "And hopefully keep her from waking up again." 

"Legend says that Gaia's voice spoke to Rhea when she gave birth to Zeus," Annabeth said. "In the Diktaean Cave. Apparently the right questioner can still pull answers from her." 

"Where's the Diktaean Cave?" Piper asked. 

"On Crete," Leo recalled. "I vote we talk to Gaia and find Mnemosyne first, then figure out what to do about the whole Hemera thing." 

"We only have till August 18th," Annabeth reminded him. "Mnemosyne could be anywhere. It could take weeks to find her, and even longer to find Hemera." 

She sighed. "I'll go through Tartarus and find Nyx's palace–" Protests erupted from her friends. "–Hemera is on the side of the gods; she'll help us." 

"Absolutely not," Percy interjected firmly. 

"Exactly," Hazel and Piper insisted at he same time Frank said, "No way." 

Jason hesitated. "Annabeth, that's insane. The last time you went there–"

"I know, I know." Annabeth put up a hand. "Believe me, going back is the last thing I want to do. But we don't really have a choice. Tartarus and Pontus could kill everyone we know." 

"Then shouldn't it be one of us?" Leo pointed out. "It's not fair that it should be you again." 

"Life's not fair, Leo." Annabeth tried for a smile to lighten the mood. "Besides, I've been there before. I know how to survive and how to find my way around." 

Percy stared at her, unconvinced. 

She knew that he knew Tartarus had no logical geography. Going right could be North or South, and paths often changed at the most random times. 

"I'm going with you," Percy said finally. 

Annabeth glared at him. "No." 

"I've been there too," Percy insisted. "You can't go alone. You need someone to watch your back. And Annabeth, we work best together." 

Annabeth folded her arms. "Percy, it'll be easier if I just go alone. I can do it." 

"I know you can," Percy said. "But I'm not letting you risk your life. One more person who doesn't want to kill you couldn't hurt."

Even Annabeth couldn't argue with that. 

"Fine," she finally relented. 

Percy pumped a fist in the air triumphantly. 

He sighed. "I should not at all be excited about going back there." 

Annabeth leaned back in her chair. 

She would never have said it out loud, but she was kind of relieved that she wouldn't be alone. 

Facing that nightmarish hell alone? Annabeth wasn't entirely sure she could have done it. 

"How will you get out of Tartarus?" Jason asked. 

"Nyx's palace should have an exit, since she has to frequent between Tartarus and Earth," Annabeth assumed. 

"And if it doesn't?" Percy asked warily. 

"We'll improvise," Annabeth decided. 

"Well, that's decided," Jason said with a sigh of relief. "At least we have a plan." 

"That's already more than we had the last time," Leo murmured. 

As the demigods left to their own activities, Piper took Annabeth down to the infirmary to check up on her wound. 

"It looks okay," Piper said as she released the bandage. 

Annabeth sipped slowly on her cup of nectar. "That's good. I'll need to be recovered before we get to Tartarus. I can't find properly like this." 

She had a thick book of Greek Mythology open in her lap. 

Piper tentatively sat down on the armchair next to her. "Annabeth, when I was stitching you up, I saw something...that worried me." 

Annabeth looked up at her. "What?" 

Piper chewed on her lip. "I-I think you're anorexic." 

There was a short silence between the two girls before Annabeth spoke, "You're joking, right?" 

Piper shook her head. 

Annabeth scoffed. "Of course, I don't have anorexia." 

"You never eat," Piper pointed out. 

"I'm just not that hungry," Annabeth insisted. 

"You're starving yourself, Annabeth," Piper said desperately. "Can't you see?" 

"Piper, drop it," Annabeth said in a deadly tone of finality. 

Piper gritted her teeth as she allowed herself to cool down. "Fine. Why are you being so cold towards Percy?" 

Annabeth didn't answer her. 

She didn't have an answer. How could she tell Piper the truth? But how could she lie to one of her best friends? 

Piper sighed and stood up. "Fine, then." She grabbed the first aid kit and set it on the table. Piper stopped at the doorway and glanced back at her friend. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here."

With that, she left, her footsteps echoing down the hallway as Annabeth miserably sunk further into her pillows.


	14. Antikythera

Percy leaned against the railing, staring aimlessly into the ocean. 

He couldn't believe he was out of that horrible place. Percy had been in there so long that if he closed his eyes, he could almost feel the pain breaking across his skin again. 

In his right hand, Percy fiddled with Riptide, desperate to feel comfort at holding it again. 

The ocean's presence calmed him, and Percy even waved to a naiad he spotted as they passed. Percy knew their exact coordinates and speed, and reciting them in his head helped to calm his mind. 

But he couldn't help thinking of Beckendorf and everything that had just happened in a matter of days. Percy had long given up on waiting for rescuers, and as if by a miracle, his friends had come. Percy had already accepted his fate as being a prisoner of Tartarus, but then Annabeth had burst into his prison cell and freed him. 

Percy had nearly passed out from sheer astonishment when he saw her. Despite their five years apart, Percy could still see her exact features in his mind. 

She didn't look too different from before. Her bones were more prominent – now Percy knew why – and her eyes had a haunted look in them that worried him, but her glare and calculating look hadn't changed. 

Unfortunately, both had been aimed at him. Percy didn't fully understand why Annabeth was so mad at him, but he promised himself he would earn back her trust. 

The last time Percy disappeared for 8 months, Annabeth had judo-flipped him. Percy supposed he should've just been happy that she hadn't stabbed him or something this time. 

"Hey," he heard Piper say. 

She walked up next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder, groaning to herself. "I'm having morning sickness, and I keep having to tell Jason that I've newly developed some form of seasickness." 

Percy pulled a face. "Lucky you." 

"I know," Piper said gloomily. "How am I supposed to fight if I'm pregnant? Will the baby interfere with the mission?" 

Percy shrugged. "I have no idea. But if anyone can kill Tartarus with a baby coming out of them – it's you." 

Piper elbowed him teasingly, though she smiled. 

"How's things with Annabeth?" Piper asked him. "You guys haven't even kissed yet." 

Percy looked down at his feet. "I think we kind of broke up." 

"What?" Piper demanded. 

Percy shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. She won't even look at me or talk to me unless she absolutely has to." He shook his head miserably. "It's exactly what I was afraid of." 

"She's probably just readjusting," Piper suggested. "I mean, she had to spend five years without you. There's been a lot of pressure on her at camp, as the leader and all." 

Percy remained silent for a few seconds. "I hope that it's just that." 

^^^^^

In the afternoon, Annabeth stumbled up the stairs to see her friends already gathered abovedeck and peering over the railing. 

"What're you looking at?" Annabeth asked as she walked over to join them. 

Percy glanced at her. "You should've yelled for us to help you up." 

Annabeth wrinkled her nose. "I'm fine. The wound's almost healed anyway." 

"We're almost at Antikythera," Piper informed her. 

Leo was at the wheel, steering them towards the small mass of land that slowly approached. 

"Why Antikythera?" Annabeth said in confusion. All she knew about the island was the Antikythera mechanism – the first analog computer ever – from a shipwreck they found years ago. 

"There's a dark energy," Hazel explained. "I didn't recognise it at first, but after we talked about Tartarus, I realised that it's an entrance to the pit." 

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "That's convenient." 

"They're all over the place," Hazel said dismissively. "But this one is nowhere as big as the one in Rome." 

Annabeth hummed in agreement, but her mind was faraway. 

She remembered the web yanking her leg down so she was dangling off the edge, Arachne's cackling laughter echoing in her mind. Percy gripping her hand as he, too, was dragged over the edge. 

"As long as we're together," Percy had said. 

Annabeth shook herself out of it. They were almost at Antikythera. 

As Leo docked the boat in the harbour, Annabeth noticed some dodgy looking ships neighbouring and some strange fishermen staring at them. 

"Maybe someone should stay behind," Annabeth said in a low voice. "They look like they could loot our ship." 

Out of the corner of her eye, Annabeth saw Percy and Piper exchange glances. Percy said something, barely above a whisper, and Piper hissed back an answer. 

They knew something. Annabeth could tell just from their body language. 

"I'll stay," Piper reluctantly said. "The ship needs protection anyway." 

"I'll stay with you," Frank offered. "I don't really want to go near Tartarus at all." 

Annabeth headed belowdeck to pack a rucksack with materials she might need. She had sketched out a rough map of Tartarus, based on the places she had been to. But it was 5 years ago, and she didn't remember much of it other than the horrors she had seen. 

Of course, she packed a whole load of ambrosia. Annabeth remembered the beach of glass shards and the burning sensation of the Phlegethon. 

And a parachute – she didn't know if this entrance led to a river. 

Annabeth vaguely remembered falling forever. Maybe she could bring a book? She quickly decided it was too heavy and stuffed a blanket into her bag before zipping it shut. 

After slinging it on her back, Annabeth knew she'd packed light enough, and she went up to join her friends. 

She was instantly attacked by Piper with a fierce hug. 

"Be careful," Piper pleaded. "Come back, okay?" 

Annabeth squeezed her back. She felt terrible for the way she had treated Piper the night before. "I'll try." 

She tried not to think about the fact that it could be months before she saw her friends ever again. 

Frank gave both her and Percy a bear hug, and Annabeth kissed him on the cheek when she saw his eyes welling up with tears. "You shouldn't have to go back to that hellhole," Frank said quietly. 

Percy patted him on the back. "Don't worry, we have a foolproof plan. We'll get out fine." 

A white lie. Annabeth knew that Tartarus was as unpredictable as could be. 

"We should go," Hazel said softly. 

Annabeth said her last goodbyes to Piper and Frank before traipsing off the bridge to follow the others. 

Annabeth glanced back, hoping she would see them again soon. 

The five demigods walked along Antikythera for hours, trying to hone in on the "strange energy". 

Hazel said the source kept flickering on and off, making it harder for her to find it. But eventually, they arrived on the opposite side of Antikythera's coastline, where a sheer cliff rose above the ocean. 

"Up there," Hazel said, pointing to small opening in the cliff. "I can feel it now." 

Leo nudged Jason in the side. "It isn't just me, is it? Those tourists have been following us around everywhere." 

Jason discreetly caught a glimpse of the people Leo was talking about. They were a group of mortals, dressed in normal summer clothes, but their eyes looked empty and hardened. 

Percy glanced in their direction. "Warriors," he warned in a low voice. "We need to go. Now." 

"Too late," Jason muttered as the tourists started striding towards them, drawing wicked blades of imperial gold. 

Jason drew his spatha and Hazel unsheathed her longsword. 

"Go, go!" she urged Percy and Annabeth. 

Annabeth hesitantly approached the cliff. It was high, but nothing compared to the camp climbing wall, where molten lava threatened to burn you alive every second. 

She slid her fingers into a small hold and started hoisting herself up, using jutting stones and cracks as footholds. 

Annabeth glanced down – she was about halfway up now. Percy followed slightly below her, and their friends were distracting the warriors. 

"Percy!" Annabeth suddenly yelled. 

He turned his head in alarm to see a warrior who had gotten past the others and was scampering up the cliff at breakneck speed. 

Percy released a hand so he was hanging off the cliff one-handed. He reached out his free hand, and tendrils of water from the sea just behind the warrior curled up and snatched him off, slamming him into the ground, where he lay limp until Jason stabbed him through the chest. 

Annabeth continued to climb, and with panting breaths, she finally reached the cave. 

Her arms were throbbing and her fingers were sore, but she pulled herself into the cave with a last burst of energy. 

A few minutes later, Percy joined her, and they crouched inside. 

The cave wasn't very big. It fit both of them snugly and there was a large opening in the floor of it. 

Whispers and taunts floated out of the hole, almost as if about to drag Annabeth in. She knew this had to be the entrance to Tartarus. 

"This is it," Percy said warily. He peered down the hole and retreated with a shudder. "Are we really doing this?" 

"You don't have to," Annabeth said softly. "You spent five years under torture with him." 

Percy swallowed. "Shouldn't that have made this easier?" 

Annabeth couldn't stand the pained look in his eyes. 

He shook his head. "No, I'm coming. I won't let you go down there alone." 

"As long as we're together, right?" Annabeth murmured under her breath. 

But Percy heard and glanced at her in surprise. 

Hazel appeared at the entrance before he could ask. 

"We've got it under control for now," Hazel rushed. "But I don't know if they'll call for reinforcements." She glanced at the entrance to Tartarus. "This one isn't strong enough to pull you in. You'll have to jump." 

Annabeth bit her lip. "Jump?" Her right palm gripped a rock as if to say, I'm staying here. She forced herself to release it. This was part of the mission, and the rest of the world was depending on her. 

Screw the rest of the world, part of her argued. Why do I have to sacrifice over and over? 

"I can't jump," Annabeth said, her voice breaking. Her heart has begun racing. 

Percy glanced at her. 

"I just can't," Annabeth gasped. "I can't jump. I don't want to go back there, Percy. It's horrible, the nightmares, the monsters–"

He hesitantly reached out and slid his hand in hers. "It'll be fine," he whispered. Percy paused for a moment. "Look, if you really don't want to do this, I'll go alone. I can handle it." 

"No," the word was pulled from her lips as Annabeth shook her head in panic. "I won't let you. You can't die down there. I can't have you die down there." 

"I won't," Percy promised. 

"I'm coming with you," Annabeth said determinedly. Her heart was still racing as she tried to ignore the disembodied voices drifting up from the entrance. "I just–I need some help to jump." 

"Guys, they're coming," Hazel warned. She slashed another warrior off the cliff side. 

Percy pulled her to face him as they crept towards the hole. 

"As long as we're together," he whispered. 

Annabeth gripped his hand as she swallowed back her fear. 

She jumped in, her hand in Percy's as they streamed through the darkness once again.


	15. A Surprise Attack

Hazel stabbed and parried the warrior's return strike. She kicked him on the leg and slammed the hilt of her sword into his head. The warrior hurtled down the cliff and smashed into the ground. 

"Good luck," she whispered down the opening as she inches towards the exit. Annabeth and Percy had disappeared down the entrance to Tartarus mere moments ago, but Hazel was already terrified for them. 

As Hazel descended down the cliff, she saw Jason yell out, and lightning bolts instantly frying two of the warriors. Jason and Leo then took down the last warrior, with Leo finally burning him to a crisp. 

She jumped down next to them. "They're gone." 

Leo looked up at the cave. "I didn't even say goodbye." Hazel gave him a comforting side-hug. Leo had grown very close to Annabeth over the course of Percy's disappearance. 

"They'll be back soon," Jason said, though he sounded like he was trying to convince himself. 

"We're two members down," Hazel said quietly. "Right after we got two back." 

Jason sighed. "Come on, we should get back to the ship."

He slung arm across each of his friends' shoulders as they trudged along the beach. 

It was easier to find their way back this time, but the sun was already setting, casting a peaceful golden glow across the island. 

Jason found it ironic, considering their current situation. 

After a half-hour walk, the three demigods arrived back at the ship. The bay was silent, not a fisherman in sight. Jason assumed they'd all returned home for the night. 

"Piper?" Jason called out as he stepped onto the deck. 

When no one answered, Jason's mind started to whirl in panic. 

"Guys," he whispered. "Something's wrong." 

Leo was fiddling with some switches on the dashboard. "Festus' thermal detectors," he explained as the huge dragon let out a small puff of smoke. "There are heat signatures below. And they're not Frank and Piper." 

"What?" Hazel demanded. 

Jason drew his sword and started down the steps to the upper deck where the cabins were, Hazel right as his heels. Leo followed after them with a fearful expression. 

Sounds became clearer as they descended. Loud punches could be heard, followed by low, indiscernable voices. 

Jason's ears perked up once he identified the noise coming from one of the bedrooms. 

Frank, he mouthed to Hazel and Leo. 

"Tell us where your friends are," someone growled. 

Hazel stifled a gasp. 

Jason pursed his lips. Warriors. They must have ambushed the ship once the others left. 

"I won't–tell you–anything," Frank panted between punches. 

Jason could see Hazel gripping her sword tightly, a furious glint in her eyes.

"I'll check for Piper downstairs." Jason's voice was barely above a whisper. 

Leo shot him a thumbs-up and beckoned for him to keep going. 

Jason threw a glance behind him as he continued down to the lower deck. He saw Hazel and Leo duck into the room where Frank was held captive, slamming the door shut behind them. 

He gripped his sword as he reached the landing. Jason had never been around the lower deck – other than the sick bay, where he practically lived. 

There were voices coming from further down, near the stables. Annabeth and Percy had been found around here. 

Jason slid past the engine room and pressed his ear up against the door to the storage room. 

Sure enough, he could hear a warrior interrogating someone – Piper, by the sound of her voice. 

"Tell me about Camp Half-Blood," the warrior hissed. "Tell me, or I'll slit your throat with your own dagger. Slowly, so you can see your own blood until your time runs out." 

Jason gritted his teeth. He forced himself not to act out. He didn't want another incident like in Agatha. 

"I won't tell you," Piper said coolly. "And neither will Frank. Percy didn't either for five ears. We're stronger than you think." 

The warrior scoffed. "You sound awfully confident for someone blindfolded and bound to a chair." 

Piper hummed. "Because you'll never win. The bad guys never do." 

"No one will rescue you," the warrior sniggered. "You're alone, and it's only a matter of time before your friend upstairs is dead. Do me a favour and spare yourself from all that pain." 

"I'm not alone," came Piper's voice. "I have Jason." 

As soon as he heard his name, Jason rammed his shoulder against the door and it opened with a deafening crash. 

Taken by surprise, Jason managed to tackle the warrior to the floor. He sprang to his feet and raised his sword, slamming the hilt against the warrior's head. 

The man crumpled to the ground and lay there unmoving, his eyes glazed over. 

Jason rushed over to Piper and sliced brought her bonds. He untied her blindfold and kissed her forehead in relief. 

"How'd you know I was there?" Jason breathed. 

Piper hid a smile. "I heard you coming. You're about as stealthy as an elephant. I had to talk to distract him from hearing you." She groaned and rubbed her chafed wrists as Jason worked on the rope binding her ankles to the chair legs. 

As Jason grabbed her hand to help her up, Piper's eyes widened, locking on a figure behind him. "Look out!" 

Jason instinctively ducked and rolled, but the blade still left a small cut on his arm. He jumped up and slashed blindly, but the warrior easily parried his weak strikes. Jason stumbled back as the warrior stabbed at him, dodging blows by a hair's breadth.

Jason felt his back hit the cold, stone wall. He'd been backed into a corner. 

The warrior shot him an evil smirk and raised his sword. 

Fortunately, Piper had pulled off her bonds and grabbed the warrior by the legs, forcing him to fall to the ground in an awkward position. 

She rolled aside just as Jason flipped his sword into a spatha and let out a yell. 

An streak of lightning arched from the top of his spatha and electrocuted the warrior. 

A horrible smell filled the storage room, making Piper gag and wrinkle her nose in disgust. "Gross." 

Jason shrugged apologetically. He warily prodded the warrior again to ensure that he was actually dead this time. 

Fortunately, he was. 

Jason flipped his weapon twice in his hand and it shrunk back to a golden coin, which he slipped into his pocket. He pulled the door open. "After you." 

Piper smiled as she walked out to the corridor, Katoptris already back on her waist. 

When Jason turned to close the door, he heard Piper let out a painful cry. He spun around in panic to see her legs give out as she collapsed to the ground like a rag doll. 

Jason lunged forward and just caught her, staggering from the weight. He slowly sat down on the floor, Piper trembling in his arms. "What's wrong? What's going on, Pipes?" he asked in alarm. 

Piper's eyes were squeezed shut and her hands were clutching her stomach as short gasps left her mouth. 

"Help!" Jason shouted. "Hazel! Leo! Frank! Ambrosia!" 

Piper shushed him weakly. "I-it won't h-help." 

Jason quickly laced his fingers in hers. He didn't know what was going on, but his blood was pumping with fear and adrenaline. 

"Gods, it hurts," Piper whispered painfully. 

Jason nuzzled his head in her shoulder and prayed to all the gods. 

After what seemed like an eternity, Piper let out a shuddering breath, and Jason felt like he could breathe again. 

"Wh-what was that?" he stammered. "Are you okay? Does it still hurt?" 

Piper released his hand, but didn't stop leaning against him. She didn't say a word. 

Jason shifted so that he was facing her. "Piper, could you answer me?" he asked nervously. 

Piper hung her head as she sighed. "Percy said I had to tell you." She took a deep breath. "Jason, please, please, don't freak out." 

Jason furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Piper," he said in concern. "Y-you're scaring me. What's going on?" 

Piper bit her lip. "I'm pregnant." 

It took Jason a few seconds to register the two words that had just come out of her mouth. His brain turned at a mind-numbingly slow speed. 

Then his mouth fell open and his eyes widened in sheer astonishment. 

Jason felt like he was going to pass out. His head felt light-headed and airy, and a numb feeling had spread to the tips of his fingers. 

"Please, Jason," came Piper's voice of pleading. "Say something." 

She sounded so faraway, and Jason felt like he was underwater, hearing sounds above the water. 

Finally, Jason said hoarsely, "You're...p-p-pregnant?"

Piper nodded regretfully. 

"How?" Jason nearly whispered. 

Piper pursed her lips. "Well..." 

Jason blushed furiously. "No, no, I know. But just–" He groaned. "We were so careful!" 

"I know, I know." A wary expression overcame Piper's face. "You're freaking out, aren't you? Oh gods, should I not have told you? I-it was an accident!" 

Jason made a noise of disbelief in the back of his throat. "Oh, really?" 

"See, you're freaking out," Piper cried. 

"But you're–you're pregnant," Jason stammered. "With my...my baby." 

Piper winced. "I'm sorry." 

Jason fell silent again. 

"Please don't feel like you have to be a part of this. You don't even have to be involved–" Piper cut herself off and buried her head in her hands. "I don't want this to be more complicated than it already is. " 

"Uh." Jason cleared his throat. "I'm not, uh, I'm not freaking out." He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "I'm just...surprised, that's all." Jason frowned. "Do you not want me to be involved?" 

Piper squirmed. "It's up to you." 

"I'd hate to think you'd be raising our baby by yourself," Jason said hesitantly. 

Piper glanced at him. "Is that...Are you..." 

"Yeah," Jason breathed. A slow, tentative smile broke his face. "I just need some time to...acknowledge it." 

"Oh, that's fine," Piper rushed. 

"But I'm going to be there," Jason promised. "For all of it. I swear, Pipes." 

Piper let out a cry of relief. "Oh, thank the gods, Jason!" 

Jason leaned forward and kissed her, feeling her tears press against his cheeks. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly. 

"Nothing," Piper sniffled. "I've just been so worried about this for so long." She shook her head. "I'm so glad it's over." 

Jason pressed a kiss to her cheek. "We're having a baby," he realised. "We're having–we're having a baby!" 

Piper laughed as he picked her up and swung her around, before a horrified expression came over him as he suddenly set her down. 

"Did I hurt the baby?" Jason said fearfully. "Is that bad for the baby?" 

Piper chuckled as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. "I love you." 

Jason wrapped an arm around her waist as they headed up the stairs. "I can't wait to tell everyone." 

"Percy's the only one who knows," Piper said fondly. "I wanted to keep it a secret until I told you." 

Jason slid his hand into hers with a small smile as they entered the mess hall. 

Hazel, Leo and Frank were sitting on the couch. Leo was treating Frank's bruises and cuts while Hazel lectured him not to annoy his captors so much next time. 

"I knew Percy was a bad influence on you," Hazel scolded. 

The three of them turned to look at Jason and Piper when they entered the room. 

"Pipes!" Leo jumped up in relief. "I was about to come down there!" 

Frank looked between the two of them and their unfaltering smiles. "What's going on?" 

Jason squeezed Piper's hand. 

She took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant." 

It was only after he words left her mouth that Piper started to worry. They weren't even married yet. What would they say? Would they be disapproving? 

To her surprise, Hazel – who was from an old-fashioned time – instantly attacked Piper with a hug and a beaming smile. "I'm so happy for you!" 

Piper cling onto Hazel gratefully. How could she have doubted her? Hazel had proven time and time again that she was the most supportive friend there ever was. 

"Congratulations, you're going to be amazing parents," Frank assured them with a grin. "I would hug you but if I even move Hazel will kill me." 

And last, to Piper's surprise, Leo's eyes shining. "You're having a baby?" he asked quietly. 

Piper wrapped her arms around him. "Yeah, we are." She shared a group hug with Leo and Jason, reminding her of their first quest together all those years ago. 

Leo buried his head in her shoulder, Piper ruffling his hair affectionately. 

When they drew apart, Leo was grinning madly. "There's going to be a Leo Jr.!" 

Jason cheered along with him and they shared a high-five. 

Piper rolled her eyes. "We are not calling our baby that."


	16. A Long Way Down

Annabeth closed her eyes. 

She didn't want to look at the inky blackness hurtling past her eyes. It made her imagine wrinkled hands reaching out to grab her in the darkness. 

Annabeth shivered. She tended to scare herself a lot. 

The air streamed past her face, blowing wind into her skin. Annabeth's hand was laced in Percy's, and his other hand was tentatively on her waist, holding her to him. 

She knew he wouldn't touch her if she didn't ask him to. Percy was respectful like that. 

Annabeth couldn't believe that she was back here again. Her heart did jumping jacks over and over again, blood pounding through her ears. 

Pretty soon, she'd be in Tartarus. 

In Tartarus. 

Annabeth shuddered. Gods, the last time had been bad enough, and she'd had Percy then. 

Now... 

Annabeth glanced up at him. 

His eyes were closed and his brow knitted with worry. It seemed she wasn't the only one dying to leave already. His hair rippled in the wind as they fell. 

Now, it was complicated. 

Annabeth wondered how long they had been falling for. Was the fall really nine days long? Annabeth wondered if she should have brought a book. 

But she figured her thoughts were distracting enough. 

Considering her terrible luck, it seemed that they'd be celebrating her birthday here. Again. 

Annabeth didn't know how much she should trust Percy. He had only been there for a few days, and all her years of cutting herself off from him was going to waste. Percy simply had a way of breaking down her walls with that troublemaker smile of his. 

He hurt you, she told herself. But that only reminded her that they hadn't even mentioned the incident. Let alone talked about it. 

Was that how it was going to be? Just ignoring the glaring problem? 

Frustrated, Annabeth moved on to her next problem. This was her priority. 

The quest. How were they going to ever succeed? They were against, not one, this time, but two primordials. And they were both very much awake. 

With a feeling of dread, Annabeth realised that they were walking straight into enemy territory. 

This was Tartarus. Literally. 

What if he found them? What stopped him from slaughtering them in seconds? 

Or he could torture them for more information. By the looks of Percy, one of the bravest people she knew, Annabeth could see she wouldn't want that to happen. 

"Annabeth," Percy's voice broke her out of her thoughts. 

Annabeth glanced up. Their surroundings were changing from black to red. 

"Parachutes," she shouted over the rush of the wind. 

Percy caught her words and Annabeth started to open his backpack. She pulled out the parachute that she had weaved a few days ago and started to open it up. 

"Hold on!" she yelled as she released it into the wind, the large fabric catching the air. 

A massive force jerked them upwards, and Percy slipped out of her grip for a split second before grabbing onto her leg. 

They descended slowly, wavering in the air until Percy's feet touched the ground and they collapsed into a heap, the parachute blanketing them. 

Annabeth felt Percy release her legs as she started to find the edge of the parachute. "Percy, help me get it off–"

She felt a hand clamp itself round her mouth and she began to struggle. 

Percy shushed her as she glanced at him in panic. 

His eyes shone with alarm and they flickered around the darkness surrounding them. 

Annabeth stopped struggling and slowly peeled his hand off of her. She was starting to heard the padding off feet and low growls that Percy must've heard. 

Hellhounds, he mouthed at her. Annabeth readily drew her dagger as quietly as she could. Percy already had Riptide out in pen form. 

Percy silently counted down to one, and at the last second, Annabeth ripped the parachute of them and they sprang into action. 

Even after all that time, they still fought together flawlessly. 

Percy slashed Riptide in an arc, dispelling one of the hellhounds and forcing the others to back off with yaps and squeaks. 

Annabeth leaped up from behind him and stabbed one of the hellhounds who was caught off guard, before whirling around to jump on another. 

In its distraction, Percy managed to stab the hellhound through the maw. He yanked Roptide out with a metallic shing! and swept another monster off its paws. 

Percy and Annabeth fought back to back, rotating and pivoting like it was habitual, stabbing and partying claws left and right. 

Annabeth has to admit that fighting with him was a relief. She knew he was going to watch her back, since he was almost a better fighter than she was – even though he was a bit rusty. He knew all her moves, and she knew everything he was going to do. It reminded Annabeth of the second Titan War, when they had just been best friends trying to stay alive. 

Percy decapitated the last hellhound and staggered back to the parachute. "I think we got them all." 

Annabeth snorted. "You think?" Bronze dust littered the ground at their feet and there were some claws and, unfortunately, a hellhound head left behind as spoils. 

Percy kicked the head to the side and pulled a face. "Gross." 

Annabeth rolled her eyes. She knelt down and started to scrunch up the parachute, while Percy stood up and eyed their surroundings, making sure of no more surprise attacks. 

She handed the folded parachute to Percy, who stuffed it into his rucksack and pulled out a sandwich. 

"At least we're more prepared this time," Percy said cheerfully. He tore of a piece of his sandwich and held it out. "Want some?" 

Annabeth waved a hand dismissively. "Not hungry." 

She could tell Percy wanted to say something, but she was glad he didn't. She didn't want to talk about it right now. 

Annabeth scanned the skyline. There seemed to be nothing for miles and miles on out except cracked rock and yellow bubbles. She shuddered as she wondered what – or who – might be in the blisters on Tartarus' skin. 

Annabeth took a raspy breath. The acidic air was already starting to burn her lungs even though she'd only been here for a few minutes, and the sweltering heat made her head pound. 

"We should go." Annabeth turned to Percy. "A son of the Big Three? There'll be monsters after us any second." 

Percy was gazing around uncomfortably. "You...you don't think the giants are..." 

Annabeth swallowed nervously. After the second Giant War, the gods had killed all the giants and imprisoned them in Tartarus. 

She shuddered. "Let's just hope we don't run into them." 

"I don't think they like me very much," she heard Percy murmur. 

Annabeth wracked her brain, trying to recall how they had entered Nyx's palace. She remembered it getting a lot darker as they entered. 

She squinted into the distance. Everything was so dark and so red. She wished Hazel was here with her underground super sense. 

Annabeth's gaze flickered to Percy. She always wished someone else was here so she wouldn't be alone with him. 

His expression was his usual relaxed, trouble-making smirk, but his eyes were hardened and vengeful. He didn't want to be here anymore than she did. 

"Thank you," Annabeth said quietly. 

Percy glanced up in surprise. "What?" 

"For helping me jump," she said reluctantly. She figured she owed it to him. "Thanks, I was nervous and having flashbacks. I-I couldn't have done it without you." 

Percy looked down at his feet. "No problem." He took a deep breath. "Can I ask you something?" 

No, Annabeth wanted to say. 

"Why are you so mad at me?" Percy asked, hurt evident in his features. 

It sent a pang through the sympathetic section of Annabeth's heart. 

Kiss him, a part of her screamed. 

Don't, said the other half. 

Annabeth stared to the horizon. "We should go. Time passes differently here. We have a deadline, remember?" 

She turned away from Percy as he sighed.

"Okay, well, I'm worried about you," Percy tried. "You're not eating, and-and Piper said–"

"I know what Piper said," Annabeth interrupted harshly. She sighed. "Look, Percy. It's a ridiculous theory anyway." 

Percy gave her a grudging look. "Is it?" 

"Anorexia is a mortal condition," Annabeth said at last. She closed her eyes. "I'm a demigod. I have responsibilities. I can't afford to have it." 

Percy was silent for a few seconds. "We're all humans," he said quietly. 

Annabeth kicked a stone. "Look, I'm sorry if you think I'm anorexic. And I'm sorry if I wasn't as perfect as you thought I was," she said bitterly. "But I'm just not. I'm not perfect." 

Her voice echoed around the clearing. 

Percy opened his mouth to say something, but the a violent tremble rippled through the ground, nearly knocking them off their feet. 

Percy stumbled into Annabeth as she rapidly righted him. 

"What's going on?" she demanded. 

Percy shook his head. "I-It's not me!" 

The fog and the darkness suddenly opened up to reveal a whole tribe of scraggly Cyclopes, pounding their chests with their clubs and shouting battle cries. 

Their giant feet slammed into the ground as they marched, sending Annabeth and Percy staggering backwards. 

"What's the plan, Wise Girl?" Percy said nervously. Riptide shone in his hand and glinted in the dim light. 

The nickname slipped out, but it still made her heart skip a beat. 

Before they knew it, the Cyclopes had surrounded the two demigods. 

The largest Cyclopes let out a deafening roar, silencing the stomping and chest-pounding. 

An eerie silence fell over them. 

Annabeth's hands shot into the air. "We surrender!" she yelled. 

Percy's mouth fell open. "What–"

"We surrender," Annabeth said more forcefully, silencing him with a sharp look. 

Percy shot her an uncertain glance, but he capped Riptide and reluctantly slipped it into his pocket. 

The largest Cyclopes eyed them suspiciously. "You surrender?" Annabeth guessed he was the leader. 

"Well, we don't stand a chance against any of you...mighty Cyclopes," Annabeth said, struggling to get the word out. "You must be the leader." 

The Cyclops pounded his club into the floor in approval. "Smart girl! I am Dawlfino, leader of the Untuki Tribe of Tartarus." 

Percy covered up a snort of laughter with a cough. "Dolphino?" 

Dawlfino gave him a strange look. "Yeah." 

Percy saw Annabeth roll her eyes. 

"Mr Dawlfino," Annabeth said sweetly. Percy didn't know she could actually be nice. "We're just innocent explorers. Won't you let us continue our wandering?" 

Dawlfino let out a rumbling chuckle. "As much as I like you, girl, my tribe must be fed...and you are food." 

Percy gulped. "F-food? We're not that tasty." 

"I beg to differ," another Cyclops said, eyeing Percy greedily. 

"Oh, of course, one must take care of their family," Annabeth insisted. "Why don't you cook Percy?" 

Percy mouth fell open again. 

"Ah, finally, food who understands!" Dawlfino boomed. 

"Woah, woah!" Percy said, his voice a few octaves higher than it usually was. He shot Annabeth a look of betrayal. "Cooked? Sorry, I don't really want to be cooked." 

"Yes, you do," Annabeth cut in nervously. "Don't confuse yourself, Percy." 

Percy gritted his teeth and sent her a look of alarm. "Do I really?" 

I have a plan, she mouthed back, stifling a grin. 

Percy sighed internally. "I mean, of course, I want to be cooked!" he said with feigned enthusiasm. 

"How are you best cooked?" Dawlfino asked curiously. "See, my daughter Delia is an aspiring chef." He gestured to the Cyclops on his left who Percy was a hundred percent sure could not be a girl. 

"Slow-cooked," Percy said quickly before Annabeth could say something like 'boiled alive'. "Over a low flame," he added. 

Delia frowned. "Why can't I just roast you on a bonfire?" 

"The muscles!" Percy yelped. "They-they get stringy!" 

Two of the Cyclopes slung Percy and Annabeth of their shoulders and marched them through Tartarus. 

After some time, they reached a large hut with straw for a roof, and wooden sticks and gravel making up the walls. 

Percy was tied onto a long branch – kind of like a human s'more – and Annabeth was bound to a tall pole. The branch was put on a spit and Percy was rotated over the fire, the flames fanning up heat onto his body. 

The Cyclopes celebrated finding food for the week by chanting choruses of songs and passing mugs of brandy all around. They were so out-of-tune Percy almost wished he was in the fire, but he found it comforting that even in Tartarus, families stuck together. 

It made him strangely homesick for his mum, for Paul and for Estelle. The last time he had seen his little sister, she had just been born and Percy watched Finding Nemo and The Little Mermaid with her almost every night. 

He wondered how she was and if she even remembered him. And what about his mum? She had to think he was dead – everyone else basically had. 

She would have been devastated, and Percy regretted making her worry so much. All his years of quests and demigod duties and probably caused her enough stress for a heart attack. 

And Paul. He might've been Percy's stepfather, but he was the most fatherly figure Percy had ever had. Even if it was only for a few years. 

The five years didn't just take Percy away from his best friends; it also left his family behind. After five years, Percy had come back to a world completely different and unready for him. 

Percy glanced at Annabeth. Before he'd gotten captured, he had woken up with her lying in his bed, curled up next to him, the lemon scent of her hair wafting up to him. They had kissed and laughed together, before Annabeth had made her usual escape through his cabin's window. 

Percy missed her. He really did. That was the one memory he was able to hold on to for five years of torture. It got him through it – knowing that she was waiting for him. And even when it began to fade from his memory, Percy still held her in his heart. 

But she hadn't waited. Not for him. 

Percy knew he couldn't really blame her. How could he? Five years without him and he really expected her to wait around? That they could just go back to how it used to be? 

"Percy," Annabeth hissed, pulling him from his thoughts. 

He glanced up at her, craning his neck as best as he could without getting dizzy from the constant rotation. 

She jerked her head in the direction of the Cyclopes, who were on the floor, huddled around Dawlfino's feet. He had stood up to make an announcement. 

"In just a few days, our new lives will begin!" Dawlfino roared. "Our master will come down to pick out the best of us for his new army!" 

The Cyclopes growled and cheered in agreement. 

Percy and Annabeth changed knowing glances. 

Tartarus, Percy mouthed to Annabeth. She nodded, confirming his suspicions. 

He didn't dare say it. Especially in Tartarus, names had power. 

Percy did some math in his head. If Tartarus was already gathering an army, it had to be a month or a few weeks more than that in the least before he attacked Camp Half-Blood. 

The demigods didn't stand a chance against the full force of the invicta, the warriors, and a whole legion of monsters. 

Jason had already Iris-Messaged Chiron about the suspected attack on August 18th, but they didn't know that monsters would be part of Tartarus and Pontus' army too. 

The Cyclopes partied for a while more. 

Percy wished they would go to sleep already. Riptide had reappeared in his pocket long ago. 

He had been roasting upon the fire for hours already. And even with his godly heritage, Percy was starting to get a bit warm.


	17. The Diktaean Cave

The Argo II docked into the bay of the island of Crete with a small shudder as Leo lowered the anchor into the depths of the bay's waters. 

"We're here!" Leo shouted. He scrambled away from the steering wheel to join the rest of his friends. 

The drawbridge began to lower automatically, emitting a groan. 

As Leo made a beeline for the land, Jason yanked him back. "Woah, woah, we haven't decided who's standing guard." 

Everyone exchanged glances. No one wanted to stay behind. 

"I have to go," Piper reminded them. "Charmspeak." 

"I was guard last time," Frank pointed out. 

Leo raised his hands. "Not it!" 

All eyes turned to Hazel and Jason. 

"I'm not staying!" they both protested in unison. 

"One you has to stay behind," Piper insisted. "We'll rotate. Next time, the other person will stand guard." 

Hazel and Jason had a brie starting contest before Hazel let out a reluctant huff. "Fine." 

"Thank you," Jason said gratefully as he gave her a one-armed hug. He led the way down the drawbridge. 

"You owe me, Sparky!" Hazel called as they left the ship. 

The four demigods strolled around Crete, grabbing tourist maps and asking directions to the Diktaean Cave. 

Leo had his eyes peeled for any warriors or dodgy-looking people. He didn't want another surprise ambush like the last time. 

"It's probably a major tourist site," Jason reasoned. "If we just ask one of the locals..." 

Piper approached a store vendor and they had a short conversation in Greek. She pointed to the road straight ahead. 

After a little less than an hour, the demigods has hiked up the right hill and reached the cave. The site was bustling with noisy tourists, rowdy children and loud tour guides. 

"We'll have to wait till nightfall at this rate," Jason murmured. 

Leo scanned the area. "I could try blocking off the place. But I doubt the tourists would listen to me." 

And so they waited. 

The four of them toured Crete as the sun slowly set along the horizon. Jason Iris-Messaged Hazel to check on her and to inform her about the delay. 

After an agonising wait, the cave was finally closed for the night. 

Piper charmspeaked the security guard to sleep as her friends hurried past him.

The demigods creeped into the cave, Leo holding out a flame for light, while the others drew their weapons. 

Frank rolled a boulder to block the entrance, making sure that no one would disturb them. 

The cavern was sparse, with granite hanging off the ceiling and jutting out from the floor. 

"Gaia," Piper called. Her voice reverberated around the enclosed space. "Speak." 

The sheer charmspeak in her voice compelled words out of the others, and the three boys promptly burst into nonsensical babbles. 

"Not you," Piper hissed, and they fell silent again. 

"She's probably blocked off," Frank guessed. "Or any random mortal could call her. There has to be something we're missing." 

Leo and Jason scoured the cave, brushing against walls and feeling for hollow walls. 

"Nothing," Jason said with a frown. 

"Wait!" came Leo's voice. 

Piper carefully stepped down some rocks to where he was. She peered over his shoulder to see what he had found. 

Carved into the centuries-old rock was the Greek symbol "Θ", so obscure that no one would find it unless they were looking for it. 

"Theta," Leo read. 

"Death," Frank realised. 

Jason turned to him in surprise. "You read Greek?" 

Frank shook his head. "It's short for Thanatos." 

Piper recalled that Thanatos was the god of Death, whom Frank had freed, with Hazel and Percy's help, five years ago. 

Leo let out a nervous laugh. "Fun nickname." 

"Does it need a sacrifice to raise Gaia?" Piper asked fearfully. She wasn't prepared to let any of her friends die; she didn't care if they lost the war. 

"Not a sacrifice," Jason said quietly. He stepped up beside Leo. Before Piper could say anything, he raised his sword and cut a light gash into his palm. 

"What are you doing?" Piper demanded, scrambling closer to him. 

Jason winced as he clenched his palm, letting a few drops of his blood smash onto the symbol, staining the rock a dark red. 

The theta symbol suddenly glowed a bright yellow, the warm light engulfing the demigods. Piper brought up her arm to shield her eyes. 

A low rumbling filled the cavern, sending some granite stalactites crashing down from the ceiling. 

"Watch out!" Piper grabbed Frank, narrowly pulling him away from an avalanche of rocks. 

Cracks started to grow along the cavern floor, creating holes and nearly knocking Leo off his feet. 

"This was a bad idea!" Leo shouted as he jumped across the widening crack and staggered into Jason. 

Piper watched in awe as a large gem of sorts emerged from the cavern centre, as if by a miracle. There was something about the growing gem that enticed her, sending her into a daze. 

She stepped toward it. 

All she wanted to do was touch it–

"Piper!" Frank yelled as he reached out an arm and pulled her back by the waist. 

Piper blinked herself out of her daydream and let out a yelp, clutching onto Frank as she realised she had nearly stepped off the cavern and into the gaping hole. 

The shaking gradually came to a stop one the gem had completely emerged from the cracks. 

It was an amber colour, with an emerald crystal trapped inside. The entire gem was around six feet in total, nearly hitting the top of the cavern. 

Leo was the first to speak. "Woah." 

Piper stared at the gem in wonder as she absently handed Jason a piece of ambrosia for his bleeding hand. 

She left Frank's side and approached the gem warily, this time making sure she wouldn't fall off the edge. 

It was like a thousand voices spoke in her head at once. 

The soft, calming voice of her late father, calling out to her. 

Piper, Piper!

In the hardened amber, Piper saw mirages swirling across the surface, memories, and glimpses of the future. Some made her smile; her father teaching her how to ride a bike for the first time, Jason and her kissing under the stars.

But some were depressing. The barren battlefields at Camp Jupiter, her father on his deathbed, her friends lying dead. 

Piper stepped away from the amber. "There's something strange about this." 

"It shows the past," Frank realised as he stared at it. Piper wondered if he saw his grandmother. 

"And the future," Leo said quietly. 

"Or what could be," Piper corrected. "It's messing with our heads. These visions might not even be true." She glanced at Jason, whose eyes were wide as his gaze flickered across the amber. 

Jason blinked and stepped away from the amber. "It's some kind of barrier." 

Piper nodded in agreement. "The gem inside will let me speak to Gaia." 

Leo pulled out a chisel from his tool belt. "Well, we'd better get to work then." 

He raised his chisel and smashed it down on the amber. 

To Piper's astonishment, the chisel went straight though the amber like the gem was made of water, and Leo nearly toppled into it. 

"Leo!" Piper lunged and grabbed him by the arm, desperately pulling him back towards her. 

They stumbled back and crashed into the floor. 

Leo jumped to his feet. "What in Hades was that?" 

Jason never took his eyes off the amber. "Time." 

After Piper struggled to her feet with Leo's help, she dusted herself off. 

The chisel lay in the amber. But something strange was happening, the metal chisel began to darken into a rusty colour, then it slowly disintegrated and collapsed into ashes that gradually disappeared. 

"Time," Piper repeated. 

"It's a time barrier," Frank realised. 

"Kronos must have put it up to protect his mother," Jason said with a scowl. 

Leo pulled out an apple from his tool belt and threw it into the amber. Sure enough, the apple began to shrivel up and rot, before it broke into small pieces that faded away. 

"How are we going to get to it?" Frank wondered aloud. 

Leo thought for a second. "I could probably fashion some kind of device. I'm thinking...a large poking device." 

"It'll break before we even get to the gem," Jason pointed out. "The barrier fast-forwards time. We need something that can survive long enough before it disintegrates." 

As they entered a deep discussion about the right materials, Piper gazed into the amber. 

The young warrior, a soothing voice mused. We meet again. 

Piper felt her heart skip a beat. It was Gaia. Gaia's voice. 

She inched closer to the amber. 

What have you come to seek? Gaia asked. Help? Clues? Your friends? 

Piper was momentarily distracted as a mirage danced across the amber. A young boy with shaggy blonde hair and innocent eyes, giggling giddily as he stumbled around a field. A man followed, laughing as he ran after the boy. 

Piper recognised the man as Jason – she could spot those blue eyes and blonde hair in a crowd. With a happier smile. But it was, without a doubt, Jason. 

Jason grinned madly as he picked up the boy and swung him around. "Daddy!" the boy shrieked in delight. 

Piper sucked in a sharp breath.

This was her future. One where they survived and they had a son. 

But they would have to live through this quest for any of that to happen. And for that, they needed Gaia's help. 

Before she could completely comprehend her decision, Piper plunged her arm into the amber. 

The weirdest feeling overcame her. 

It was like she was underwater. 

The alarmed shouts of her friends echoed around, ringing in her ears like a faraway call. She could hear Jason's panicked yells and footsteps thundering against the cavern floor as they raced to pull her out. 

But her reality had already changed. Images flashed before Piper's eyes. 

The time she had fallen off her horse – her arm never felt the same ever again. 

Meeting Leo for the first time at the Wilderness School. 

Racing through the temple of Phobos and Deimos with Annabeth at her side. 

Tartarus' fist smashing into her jaw, making her wince as Percy struggled against his chains. 

Piper saw herself sitting in a lawn chair, leaning against Jason as the two of them stared into the sunset.

She saw herself staring into a mirror, seeing the grey streaks in her hair and the smile lines etched into her face. 

Her life was quite literally flashing before her eyes. 

With her mind whirling, Piper wasn't quite sure what was going on. Voices relentlessly launched attacks on her ears, leaving her reeling and gasping for breath. 

And worst of all, the amber clenched around her arm, trapping her and refusing to let her move. It was like plunging her arm into refrigerated honey. The instant freezing feeling made her shiver. Hands grabbed her shirt and pulled her back, but she couldn't budge. 

"Piper!" Jason's shout shook her from head to toe. 

Piper mustered up her remaining strength and pushed further into the amber. Her fingers were outstretched as she slowly, slowly neared the emerald gem. 

She winced with the effort as she neared the gem, visions still flickering through her brain. 

Piper's fingers brushed the emerald gem, and she struggled to reach around it. With a last spurt of energy, Piper grasped the gem and roughly ripped her arm out of the amber. 

Piper staggered back with a loud shriek, her arm coming unstuck from the amber with a clear "pop!". 

She fell down on the ground with a thud, a groaning tearing itself from her lips. Her head was spinning wildly with everything she had just seen and felt, but Piper gripped the gem in her hand like her life depended on it. 

"Piper!" Jason called out desperately. "Are you okay? Oh my gods, Piper!" 

She coughed as her eyelids fluttered open weakly. Her muscles were sore and Piper had never felt so exhausted in a long time. 

"I'm–fine," she managed. Piper reached out and grasped Jason's fingers. He helped her into a sitting position. 

"What were you thinking?" Leo said frantically, his voice an octave higher than usual. "You could've died!" 

Piper winced as she felt a pang go through her body. Her arms felt like jelly, and her legs ached. "Someone would've had to get it anyway." 

"It was still dangerous!" Leo protested. "Don't scare us like that ever again!" 

Piper gave him a small smile. "I'll try." 

She clung on to Jason's arm as he pulled her to her feet. His brow was knitted with concern. "Are you sure you're okay?" 

Piper nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." Her legs felt like giving out, as if her body was suddenly too heavy to carry. "Just a bit weak." 

Frank pulled out the ambrosia from her pocket and handed it to her. Piper chewed on it in relief, feeling strength start to flood back into her body. 

She handed the gem to Leo. 

"You don't look any older," Jason noted. 

Piper looked down at herself. She felt for her braids, and was relieved to find that they weren't grey like she had seen in one of the visions. "Maybe it doesn't affect humans." 

Jason looked unconvinced, but he dropped the subject. 

"How do we talk to Gaia?" Leo asked, turning the gem over in his hand. 

Piper plucked the gem out of Leo's hand and observed it under the light of Jason's sword. 

The voice of Gaia no longer spoke to her, but Piper had a feeling she was simply hiding. 

Following her gut instinct, Piper raised her hand and threw the gem into the ground. 

Her friends let out yelps of shock as the jewel burst into fine dust. But Piper's hunch had been right. 

Green mist swirled up from the floor where the gem had been broke. It wasn't neon green like the kind that Rachel gave off. It was more of an earthly, calm green that circled the demigods and danced around the cavern. 

"Gaia!" Piper shouted. 

Who would've thought? came the all-too familiar voice. It echoed around the cavern. My favourite demigods. 

Leo stumbled back, terror flashing in his eyes as fire blazed in his hands. "Gaia?" 

Frank stepped in front of Leo protectively, his gaze flickering around suspiciously. 

Oh, Leo, Gaia cooed. Aren't you happy to see me? 

"Leave him alone!" Jason yelled, holding up his sword threateningly. 

But even he couldn't fight a cave. 

Jason Grace, Gaia said in surprise. My, my, have you all grown up. 

"Don't talk to them!" Piper said harshly. "We've come for one reason only. Where's Mnemosyne?" 

Silence filled the cave. 

"I said," Piper repeated more forcefully. "Where is Mnemosyne?" 

Neither here nor there, came Gaia's voice, but it sounded more pained, as if she was trying to resist the charmspeak. 

"Gaia, listen to me," Piper yelled fiercely. "Tell me where Mnemosyne is!" 

Her voice bounced off the walls, creating multiple echoes. 

When the sound faded, Gaia replied, The birthplace of Zeus. The Idaean Cave on Mount Ida.

Piper sighed in relief. They had Mnemosyne's location. The plan had worked. 

The cavern began to rumble again. 

You think you can keep me under once you have awoken me? Gaia demanded. You think you can keep a primordial like myself at bay? 

I am stronger than all of you! All of you combined! No puny demigod can–

"Sleep!" Piper cried. 

Her voice was unwavering and the persuasiveness in her tone never faltered. 

The rumbling stopped instantly, and the cavern was filled with silence once again. 

Piper nearly collapsed from the amount of energy she had used today. Reaching through the amber, and then charmspeaking the Earth to sleep? She was exhausted. 

The four demigods stumbled out of the cave, helping one another and climbing over shattered rocks as they exited. No one said a word. 

"The Idaean Cave," Jason said warily, once Frank rolled the boulder back and they stood in the fresh air of the hill. "I guess that's our next stop." 

"It's on Crete, isn't it?" Frank guessed. "Should we go now?" 

"No," Piper and Leo said instantly. 

"It's on the other side of Crete," Leo explained. "We'll have to sail there before getting off again." 

"I need a break," Piper said tiredly. "I'm sorry, guys, but I feel like I'm about to pass out." 

"Sorry?" Leo snorted. "Piper, you were amazing!" 

Frank nodded vigorously. "I've never seen anything like that. Gods, you deserve a good sleep." 

Piper laughed. "Thanks, guys." 

She started down the hill, before letting out a groan and nearly falling down again. 

Her legs throbbed, and now Piper really felt like she was too heavy for her body to handle. 

Something felt weird. 

Something felt wrong. 

As if on cue, Jason gasped at the same Piper finally realised why she had been feeling that way since she had fallen out of the amber. 

"Your stomach?" Jason whispered with dread. 

Piper sat down on the grass suddenly, grabbing at the leaves in horror. "What's happened? I'm–I'm–" 

She glanced down fearfully. Her belly had swelled to nearly three times the size that it had previously been. 

What had been an unnoticeable baby bump mere minutes ago was now Piper's incredibly pregnant belly. 

"How did we–Why didn't we–" Leo stammered. 

"The amber," Piper realised with a feeling of dread weighing in her stomach. "It didn't fast-forward my time." Her hand brushed her pregnant belly and she shivered. 

"You've got to be at least in your third trimester," Frank reasoned. 

Piper sat down suddenly, feeling rather sick. "What?" She knew enough about pregnancy to know that the third trimester meant that the baby was going to come within the next few months. 

Jason knelt down next to her and held her hand. "Hey, it's going to be okay." 

Piper sighed. Her baby could be born into a chaotic world in the middle of a war of the century. 

She glanced up warily. "Is it?


	18. The Woman In Gold

Snores reverberated around the dimness of the room. Percy hung from the stick, slowly roasting over the low flickering flames. 

His gaze darted from corner to corner, ensuring that every one of the Cyclopes were asleep. If he was going to escape, Percy knew that now was the time to do it. 

Tilting his head at an awkward angle, Percy tried to catch Annabeth's attention. 

She was fiddling with her hands, her brow furrowed with absolute concentration. 

Percy wanted to call out to her, but he was afraid of waking the Cyclopes. 

Instead, he watched as Annabeth, as if by a miracle, wriggled out of the ropes tying her wrists together. 

"Eurgh..." Dawlfino snorted in his slumber. 

Percy froze up, his heart nearly skipping a beat with fear. Annabeth halted in the middle of her escape, glancing up at the Cyclopes king. 

Fortunately, Dawlfino merely rolled over and continued to snore. 

Annabeth met Percy's gaze and gestured to the ropes tying her feet together. Too tight, she mouthed. She reached out a hand and beckoned for him. 

Riptide, she mouthed. 

Percy jerked his head in the direction of his bound hands. 

Annabeth seemed to groan inwardly. 

Percy struggled to loosen his bonds even further, and he managed to create a little wriggle space. Percy slowly slid his hand into his pocket, and he felt the tips of his fingers brush against the cold metal of Riptide in pen form. 

Percy gritted his teeth as he desperately grasped Riptide and drew it out of his pocket. With his hand tied to his back, Percy had to angle his wrist at an angle that sent a pang through his arm. 

He flicked his wrist, and Riptide soared across the room, where Annabeth promptly caught it with her natural reflexes. 

She shot him a thumbs-up sign and swiftly uncapped Ritpide. The bronze sword shot up as the lid fell off, emitting a faint glow. 

The Cyclopes lying nearest to Annabeth stirred slightly but remained asleep. 

Percy watched as Annabeth sliced her bonds open and struggled to her feet with a wobbly step forward. 

She tip-toed past the sleeping Cyclopes with Riptide held at shoulder height. Annabeth stood to the side of the bonfire and cut open the ropes tying Percy to the spit. 

He carefully lowered himself to the ground, where Annabeth sliced through the thick rope encircling his wrists.

"We have to get out of here," Percy whispered. 

"Oh, really?" Annabeth hissed sarcastically. "I don't know what I've been doing this whole time them." 

She handed Percy Riptide and scanned the cave. "Where's my dagger?" she said in a low voice. 

Percy pointed to Dawlfino's daughter — Delia, he recalled — who had Annabeth's dagger clutched tightly in her hand. 

"She'll wake up once we try to get it," Perry whispered. 

Annabeth glared at him. "I don't care. Leo made that for me. I'm not losing another dagger down this hellhole." 

Percy held out a hand. "I meant, we should get our packs before we grab the dagger and make a run for it." 

Annabeth bit her lip. "Fine." She glanced back at Delia uncertainly before following Percy through the room's exit. 

Annabeth shut the door behind her as silently as she could, and found herself in the Cyclopes' pantry. There was food stacked all around; some half-dead monsters that reminded Annabeth of where she and Percy could've ended up. 

Annabeth picked up their packs and handed Percy his. 

Percy pulled out a loaf of bread and he gave her his usual lopsided grin. "Hey, maybe there are vegetarian Cyclopes." 

Annabeth rolled her eyes and stuffed the bread into her rucksack. 

There was also a small stack of weapons in the corner — bows, arrows, swords and the like. 

Annabeth grabbed an extra knife and Percy passed the bow and arrow set to her. 

"I'll probably just shoot myself in the foot," Percy said warily as she packed the weapons into her bag. 

Annabeth snorted with laughter as she grabbed a bottle of water off the shelf. 

"They'll chase after us once we get my dagger," she reminded him. "We can't fight them all." 

Percy peered out the window. "It's a hut made of straw, Annabeth, and there's a raging bonfire in the next room." He gestured to the door. "After you." 

Annabeth gave him a wary look as she pushed the door open. She flinched as a creak resounded. 

Percy picked up the spit and lit the top with fire from the flames, and headed to the front door. 

Annabeth kneeled down next to Delia quietly. She glanced at Percy. 

Three, she mouthed. Two. One. 

In one swift movement, Annabeth grasped the jolt of her dagger and yanked it out of Delia's grip. She stumbled away from the Cyclops as Delia began to growl and awake. 

"Go! Go!" Annabeth yelled, sprinting out the door after Percy. 

She slammed the door behind her and shoved her shoulder against it, hoping to wedge the door close. 

Percy threw the burning stick onto the roof of the hut, and the straw instantly caught on fire. The flames began to travel through the house rapidly, the wooden walls and scaffolding beginning to crumble to ash the fire raced across it. 

"Let's go," Annabeth urged. 

When Percy didn't move, she glanced up at him. 

He held Riptide in his hand and his pack on his back, but the reflection of the flickering flames shone in his sea-green eyes.

"Percy!" Annabeth shouted, grabbing his hand. It was like small bolts of electricity rippled across her skin. 

She ignored it and pulled him after her as she began to run from the hut. 

Shouts and screams came from inside the hut as the Cyclopes began to smash the door open from the inside. 

"Th-they'll die," Percy stammered as he giddily staggered after her. "The fire—"

Annabeth groaned and pulled him down behind a wall of rocks. "They'll get out," she hissed. "But if they find us, they will kill us." 

Sure enough, footsteps shook the ground as the whole tribe of Cyclopes thundered out of the hut, tripping over one another. 

Wails and shouts of despair echoed around Tartarus as their home was burned to the ground before their eyes. 

Annabeth suddenly realised that the Cyclopes could smell them, and she began to shrug off her jacket. 

She placed a finger to her lips and gestured for Percy to be quiet as she inched away from the wall to rock. Drawing back her arm, Annabeth lobbed her jacket as far away from them as she could. 

Dawlfino stomped forward, and Annabeth flung herself behind the rock wall again, panting heavily as she pressed her back against the wall in attempt to remain hidden. 

"The demigods!" Dawlfino roared. "That way!" 

Annabeth heard the whole tribe stampeding, until they came to a halt. 

"One of their jackets!" Delia shrieked. "They went that way! The thieves!" 

The whole tribe let out deafening shouts of agreement as they pounded forward. 

Annabeth strained her ears as their footsteps gained distance and became softer. 

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, and shakily slung her pack back on. 

Annabeth turned to Percy, who was sitting next to her, a stricken expression on his face. 

"We're safe now," she said breathlessly. 

She leaned her head on the rough rock and closed her eyes, allowing her pounding heart to slow down. 

"We should go," came Percy's voice. 

She opened her eyes reluctantly. 

"They could be back once they realise we tricked them," Percy said warily. He struggled to his feet, exhaustion etched into his features as he extended a hand to help her up. 

Annabeth ignored it and pushed herself up off the ground. 

They trudged a further mile or so — Annabeth couldn't tell — until the burning hut disappeared from sight. By some sort of miracle, they didn't see any other monsters. 

A small part of Annabeth's mind told her that it was her mother's doing. 

"Let's take a break," Percy said weakly. 

Annabeth glanced back at him. 

His shoulders were hunched, and he looked ready to keel over and pass out any second now. 

Annabeth felt a surge of guilt wash over her. Percy had just escaped five years of torture under their greatest enemy before being plunged straight into another war. 

He, of all people, needed a break. 

"Yeah," she said softly. 

The nearest sanctuary were the wall of rocks on their right. Annabeth ducked under a tall, looming structure of stone, beckoning for Percy to follow. 

There was a small space surrounded by rock, allotting them safety for a few hours at least.

"Get some sleep," Annabeth told Percy. "I'll take first watch." 

His eyes flickered open and close in tiredness. "Are you sure?" 

Annabeth nudged him in the side. "Absolutely, you look ready to faint." 

Annabeth sighed and curled up in a corner. Even in that position, her feet still touched Percy's knees. 

She unzipped her pack and took a sip of water. The liquid burned against her parched throat, but it was cool to the touch and gave her hope that they could get out. 

"Hey," Percy said quietly. 

Annabeth looked up at him. 

"Did the hut remind you of..." he trailed off. 

"Damasen's hut," Annabeth finished. She fiddled with her hands. "Percy, do you think we'll see them again?" 

She didn't even have to say their names. 

Percy sighed. "I don't know. Tartarus must've liked them when we took the lift up to Earth." 

A shadow of fear crossed his face. 

Annabeth glanced at him warily. "What is it?" 

Percy shook his head. "Just remembering Ahkylys." 

Annabeth felt a shiver run down her spine at the name. The way Percy had killed her with her own poison...

She had never been so afraid of anyone. 

"Being here," Percy sighed. "It's bringing back so many memories." 

Annabeth nodded silently. 

"Listen, Annabeth," Percy started. "What you said earlier? About not being perfect?" 

Annabeth swallowed and stared at her feet. She hadn't meant to say it. It had burst out of her in the moment. 

"No one's perfect, Annabeth," Percy said softly. "Your flaws make you who you are. They make you Annabeth Chase. The only Annabeth Chase I want to know." 

Annabeth fiddled with the end of her t-shirt. 

"Besides," Percy paused. "Perfect's boring." 

Annabeth studied the ground before her, tears burning in her eyes. 

She heard Percy sigh as her silence ensued. 

There were some shuffling noises before he lay down, his shallow breaths turning to deep ones as he fell asleep. 

Annabeth leaned back against the rock, sighing bitterly. 

Why did Percy have to be so, well, Percy? 

Getting over him was the hardest thing Annabeth had ever done, and she wasn't about to go through all that again just because he grinned at her or held her hand. 

But it was easier to remind herself of all the things he had done when Percy had been gone. 

But he was here now, with his caring words and sea-green eyes that seemed to understand every part of her. 

Annabeth could feel her walls slipping. She clenched a fist in frustration and let out a bitter groan. 

Half of her wanted to cry to him about everything she'd gone through those five years he was gone. 

The other half — the stronger half — remembered that Percy had kissed Rachel. That Percy had cheated on her. 

They had promised to love each other forever, and Percy had broken that promise. 

Annabeth turned over, weariness making her head spin and her eyes close. Without another thought, she drifted off into a restless sleep, haunted by dreams. 

The first dream Annabeth was plunged into involved a strange woman. 

She had cascading teal hair that radiated light, and soft blue eyes that held centuries of wisdom. Her dark complexion was without a blemish, and Annabeth was suddenly reminded of Beyoncé. 

That jerked Annabeth back to her senses. 

Golden ropes, thick as her own wrist, were secured along the woman's arms, binding her to the ground where the ropes disappeared into. 

"Annabeth Chase." 

The woman's voice was as beautiful as she was. It felt like song to Annabeth's ears, and the echoes reminded her of being underwater. 

Annabeth moved sluggishly toward the mermaid. 

She was underwater. And she was breathing. 

For a fleeing moment, Annabeth wondered if Percy always felt like this underwater. 

"You must free me before it is too late," the woman pleaded, her features rearranging themselves into an expression of fear. "The deadline is approaching." 

The deadline. 

"Percy's birthday," Annabeth said warily. 

The woman nodded in confirmation. 

"My husband wishes to strike Olympus down on its most joyous day," the woman continued. "You are my only hope." 

Annabeth frowned. "Your husband? Who are you?" 

"There's no time for that," the woman said sadly. "The keys to my chains are in my old prison. You must find it and release me from my captivity." 

"Where are you?" Annabeth demanded. "Where is your old prison?" 

"Free me," the woman begged, her voice starting to sound more faraway than ever. "Annabeth Chase, you are my only hope." 

"Wait!" Annabeth cried, desperately reaching out. The world around her was fading away. "I don't know who you are! Where do I find you? Where is your old prison?" 

The scene around her rippled and promptly changed into something more familiar. 

People were singing at the top of their lungs, the air filled with cheerful singing and laughs. 

"...and all day long!" the song finished. 

Cheers erupted from all around. 

Annabeth blinked at the sudden change in scenery. 

She was seated around the camp bonfire, surrounded by friends and familiar faces. 

"You okay?" 

Annabeth glanced up in shock to see Percy beside her, his arm carelessly slung across her shoulders. 

"Percy?" she asked in bewilderment. 

Percy chuckled and kissed her on the forehead. "I think someone's read one too many books today." 

Annabeth blushed. 

"S'more?" 

Annabeth turned to her left to see Leo offering her a marshmallow on a stick. 

"That's mine!" Piper called out, grabbing it from him. Jason deftly snatched it from her and ate it in one bite. The two of them playfully elbowed one another. 

Hazel and Frank sat at Percy and Annabeth's feet, snuggling close to each other. 

Annabeth felt so at peace here. It was her home. Her friends — her family — alive and happy. 

Enjoy it while it lasts, daughter of Athena. 

A rumbling voice interrupted the peace. 

"What?" Annabeth demanded, leaping to her feet. "Show yourself, you coward!" 

"Annabeth," Percy asked in puzzlement, reaching out a hand. "What's going on?" 

A dark chuckling resumed, and the scenery rippled once again. 

Annabeth stared in horror as the peaceful campsite morphed into a site of absolute annihilation. 

Fires burned everywhere, sending plumes off smoke up into a grey sky. Dead bodies were strewn across the ground, lying around rings of obliterated cabins. 

"No!" Annabeth let out a strangle cry as she fell to her knees beside Percy. 

He lay on the ground at her feet, a longsword sticking grotesquely from his gut. 

"No, Percy!" Annabeth pleaded. "No, come on!" She shook him roughly, tears running down her face. 

His eyes sprang open, sending a shiver of shock through her. 

"You..could've..." he choked out. "...done...more." A wracked gasp escaped his lips before Percy slumped down, his hand going slack. 

Annabeth took in a shaky breath, stumbling away from his corpse. 

She looked down at her hands and let out a cry of fear. Blood stained her hands — Percy's blood. 

Tears blurred her vision as she desperately spun around for an exit. 

Her friends littered the hill, blood staining the once-emerald grass. 

"No!" Annabeth shouted, her voice lost in the wind. 

You and your puny demigod friends will never succeed. You will fail. And die. 

Annabeth clenched a fist. 

"Pontus," she murmured through gritted teeth. 

All your friends will die. And you will watch. 

"Shut up!" she yelled. 

Goodbye, Annabeth Chase. Till we meet again. 

Everything was ripped away from her in a split second, leaving Annabeth crying out and gasping for breath. 

She was awake. Back in Tartarus, hiding from monsters in the rocks. 

"Annabeth!" Percy said in alarm, kneeling down in front of her. "Annabeth, it was just a nightmare!" 

Annabeth panted rapidly, her hands clasped together as she rocked herself back and forth. 

She felt Percy sit down next to her and pry her hands apart. He slid his fingers between hers and slowly eased her into a sitting position. 

Annabeth buried her face in his shoulder, sobs and hiccups tearing from her lips before she could stop them. 

She gripped Percy's hand tightly, curling up into a ball in his embrace. 

Once she calmed down, Annabeth slowly withdrew. 

"What happened?" Percy asked in concern. 

Annabeth swallowed. Every time she looked at his face, she saw her own hands matted with his blood. 

Demigod dreams were never really just dreams. 

Percy could die. 

Die. 

For real this time. Without coming back. 

And it would be her fault. 

"I can't," Annabeth managed. 

Percy chewed on his lip, but he didn't ask anymore questions. 

Annabeth let out a shuddering sigh as she leaned against him, closing her eyes, trying to rid her mind of the images of the world crumbling down.


	19. The Titan Sisters

"We're almost there," Jason encouraged as he stopped his trudge up the slope. 

Piper let out a groan. "Pregnant...women... should...rest," she panted between breaths. 

"Let's take a short break," Leo suggested as he eased Piper down to a sitting position. 

She nodded gratefully and slumped against him. "Thank...you." 

Jason kneeled down beside her in concern, placing a hand on her forehead. "You're burning up, Pipes. Are you sure you don't want to head back?" 

Piper shook her head insistently. "No, no. I'm fine. We need this to continue with the quest." 

"How many weeks along are you?" Frank asked warily. Piper's abdomen was much more swollen than before. 

Piper shook her head. "I have no idea. It was only 12 weeks before." 

"It's 40 weeks before giving birth right," Frank guessed. 

Piper nodded. "But that's a full term. 38 weeks is the usual period of labour." She glanced around. "Let's focus on this first. How're we going to find the Idaean Cave? It disappeared centuries ago." 

"It's probably just shrouded by the Mist," Jason reasoned. 

Frank frowned. "We should've taken Hazel." When they had stopped back for a break, Hazel had insisted on coming with them, but she still remained on guard in the end. 

"I can do this," Piper muttered to herself in a supportive mantra. She grabbed Frank's hand and pulled herself up breathlessly. 

They continued up the hill between heavy pants and sluggish steps. 

"This is the peak," Piper declared despairingly. She stepped onto the summit of the hill. "There aren't any caves here." 

Leo scanned the view. He could see the whole city from here, but Piper was right — no caves. 

"It's here somewhere," Jason insisted. He backtracked a few steps and regarded the hill's peak again. 

Leo followed his gaze. 

Jason has a point. There was something strange about the empty air. It was too vacant. 

There should've been something there. Leo focused on the emptiness and imagine himself scraping away the layers like paint. 

Within seconds, the shroud of Mist peeled away to reveal a stone cave, its entrance open and welcoming. 

"There," Leo breathed, pointing to the cave. 

One by one, his friends spotted the cave through the Mist. 

Jason stepped up to the entrance and drew his sword warily. "This is where Mnemosyne is?" 

Piper chewed on her lip. "Gaia said to go to the Idaean Cave." 

They proceeded inside with weapons drawn, eyes darting about for any signs of danger. 

"It's a door," Jason whispered. Between two stone walls walls, a large metal door with a vault lock bridged the gap. 

Leo pushes his way between Frank's and Piper and placed his hand on the lock. The vibrations of the mechanisms seemed to flow through him. 

He closed his eyes as the gears inside the lock twisted and clicked to align itself, allowing the door to open with a resounding "shh". 

Leo pulled the door open with difficulty and stepped inside. His eyes widened in surprise and astonishment. 

Sitting around in a circle were six women, who were all different and yet the same. 

One of them had a bright complexion and shimmering blonde hair, and eyes that seemed to radiate happiness. Another had a shawl wrapped around her head, covering most of her dark hair. And a third had fiery red hair and warm brown eyes that reminded Leo of Hestia. 

Yet, all six women radiated the same kind of power and elegance that reminded Leo of the gods. 

"Welcome, demigods," the woman with the shawl said in a soothing tone. "We are the Titans." 

Leo blinked. "The Titans? No offense, but aren't the Titans...guys?" 

A fourth sister rolled her eyes. "Of course, only our brothers and their stupidity are remembered." She had curly brown hair and striking grey eyes. 

"The Titans you speak of are our brothers," a fifth woman said. She had a tanned complexion, brown eyes, and golden hair. "And our husbands." 

Piper frowned. "What?" 

"Our brothers are also our husbands," the sister with red hair said. She pulled a face. "Zeus knows what we were thinking when we married those buffoons." 

Jason looked like he was about to be sick. "You...you married your brothers?" 

"Not all of us," the sister with the head shawl added. "Mnemosyne and I were smarter than that." 

The four demigods shot up. 

Leo turned to the only sister who hadn't spoken. She had black hair in a long braid that reached her knees, pale skin and blue eyes. "You're Mnemosyne?" he demanded. 

She nodded. "And I suppose you are looking for me?" 

Leo nodded slowly. "But...what are you doing here? Who are all of you?" 

Mnemosyne sighed. "Centuries later and mortal memories still disappoint me. I don't know what Prometheus ever saw in them." 

Leo bit back a scowl. So far, all he'd learnt about these Titan sisters was that they seemed to enjoy name-dropping, and that incest didn't seem to be an issue with them. 

"I am Theia," the shiny sister explained. "I am the Titan of sight and light." 

The woman with the head shawl introduced herself next. "And I am Themis, the Titan of divine law and order." 

The sister with curly brown hair and grey eyes smiled at Leo. "I'm Tethys, the Titan of freshwater." 

"Phoebe," said the woman with golden hair and a bronze tan. "The Titan of prophecy and Oracles." 

"Wait, Oracles?" Piper interrupted. "My friend Rachel is one of the Oracles. But Apollo is her patron god." 

Phoebe shrugged. "Apollo is my grandson." 

Frank's eyes widened. 

Phoebe laughed. "Where did you think he got his gift of prophecy from?" 

And last, the red headed sister. "I am Rhea," she said simply. "The Titan of motherhood, and the wife of Kronos." 

"Kronos?" Leo choked out. 

Rhea smiled. "Yes. But I supported the gods during the war, because Kronos ate most of our children." 

Frank stumbled backwards into Jason. "A-ate?" 

Rhea waved a dismissive hand. "It's a long story." 

"The six of us gather every millennia or so to talk about our brothers, our children, and problems concerning the world," Tethys explained. "Global warming really is a looming issue." 

"And plastic straws," Theia added. "It's a good thing that corporations have begun to ban them." 

"We meet here," Rhea continued. "The birthplace of my youngest son — Zeus. It is my sacred place." 

Jason glanced at her. Technically, Rhea was his grandmother. He didn't have her red hair or brown eyes, but she reminded him of Thalia. Something about the way she talked and the defiance she carried herself with. 

"You have looked at me strangely, son of Ares," Tethys said suddenly. She turned to Frank. "What is the matter?" 

"Uh-I-" Frank stammered. 

"You remind us of a friend," Piper answered for him. "Your eyes...they're exactly like Annabeth's." 

Tethys smiled. "Ah, Annabeth Chase. I have heard much about her. The resemblance might be because I am her great-grandmother." A darkened expression swept across her face. "But she is in Tartarus now, with that boy, far beyond my reach. No one can help them now." 

"Are they okay?" Leo demanded. "Are they hurt? Have they reached Nyx's palace?" 

Tethys glanced at Phoebe. "I cannot say. It will affect the future of your quest." 

"That's actually why we're here," Jason interjected. "We're looking for a way to end the war before it even starts. Too many people would die, and Olympus could fall." 

"We can't help you," Themis said quietly. "It will interfere with the quest." 

"That's the idea!" Piper growled. Leo grabbed ahold of her arm and pulled her back. She took a deep breath. "The prophecy the Oracle of Delphi gave us is that Mnemosyne would help us." 

Rhea frowned. "What prophecy?" 

Piper impatiently recited it for them. 

"'The blade to raise with memory'," Leo repeated. "You're supposed to have some sort of blade that helps us raise Ouranos. We need him to defeat Pontus and Tartarus." 

The sisters exchanged glances. 

"Father?" Theia murmured uncertainly. "You want to raise him?" 

"It's our only chance," Jason pleaded. 

"Ah, yes, I remember this prophecy," Phoebe suddenly said. "One of my better ones. Very eloquent limerick, abab rhyme scheme. Lots of alliteration; fricatives, plosives..." 

Leo zoned out as he was suddenly reminded of literature class. 

"Wait," Rhea said suddenly, puzzlement flooding her features. Her gaze flickered between the demigods until it landed on Piper, and her eyes brightened with wonder. "You are with child!" the Titaness breathed. 

Piper flushed red. "Uh–"

She was pulled closer to Rhea, who placed a hand on her stomach. 

"I can sense him," Rhea whispered with joy. 

"Him?" Jason echoed. "It-it's a boy?" 

Leo could see Piper's eyes welling up with emotion. He shifted uncomfortably; this wasn't his forte. 

"How did you know?" Piper's voice cracked. 

"I'm the Titan of motherhood," Rhea reminded her. "You're 34 weeks along, so you should expect frequent nausea, although your morning sickness should have halted by now." 

"Is he healthy?" Jason asked. 

"Oh, of course," Rhea fussed in a motherly tone. 

"There's nothing...wrong with him?" Piper asked cautiously. "I—This is kind of new. See, I was 3 months pregnant until a few hours ago." She explained to the Titans about Kronos' time barrier. 

Tethys frowned disapprovingly. "He always was the trickster." 

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Rhea assured Piper and Jason. "He should be perfectly healthy — oh, please, once he is born, would you mind bringing him for a visit?" 

Jason's happiness started to fade. The reality of their impossible quest to stop Pontus and Tartarus dawned on him once more. 

Leo sensed the gloominess settling over them. "We need your help," he pleaded to Mnemosyne. "None of us will survive if Tartarus takes over." 

The sisters exchanged glances. Rhea and Mnemosyne seemed to be having a silent argument through glares. 

"I suppose," Themis said hesitantly. "It is only fair. Your opponents vastly outnumber you — in strength and in numbers." 

"Thanks," Leo muttered. 

"None of us want to live in a world ruled by Tartarus," she said quietly. Themis send a sidelong nod to her sister. 

"After the second Titan War," Mnemosyne sighed. "Zeus granted me safekeeper of Kronos' scythe. He said it was too powerful a weapon with too much history to leave lying around." 

"The blade from the prophecy," Frank said in understanding. 

"The problem is..." Mnemosyne clasped her hands together apologetically. "I require my five rings of power to summon the scythe, and as of recently, I seem to have...lost them." 

"Lost them?" Leo exploded. "But-but—you're Titan of Memory!" 

Mnemosyne winced. "I know, I know." 

"Tartarus must have taken them," Jason reasoned with a frown. "He must've known that the only way we could stop him was with the scythe." 

"Mind, Time, Heart, Sight, and Remembrance," Mnemosyne explained. "They are the source of my power." 

"The five rings are scattered," Themis confirmed. "I can see three of them — the Diktaean Cave, Anafi, and Limnos."

Frank turned to his friends. "We don't have much time. Hazel's been alone too long." 

Piper nodded in agreement. "We'll grab the ring and set off for Anafi as quickly as possible." 

"We wish you luck," Theia said. 

"Wait," Jason interjected. "Two of ours friends are in Tartarus." 

Phoebe nodded in understanding. "Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase." 

"How do we find them?" Jason asked helplessly. "When—Where?" 

Phoebe held up a hand. "All in good time, son of Zeus." 

Jason looked like he wanted to argue, but Piper tugged on his hand urgently. 

"Let's go," Piper said in a low voice. 

Jason swallowed hard and turned to follow her. 

"See you soon," Rhea said softly as the demigods filed out of the cave. 

Leo blinked rapidly as he climbed out onto the hillside. It was nearly pitch black outside, compared to the intimate lighting of the cave. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Leo squinted to spot the Argo II docked at the harbour. 

And then he saw them — figures looming closer and closer. 

"Warriors," Jason warned. 

Leo heard the familiar shink of metal as Jason's coin transformed into a sword. Piper drew Katoptris warily. 

"It'll take us a while to climb down," Leo realised, imagining their route in his head. 

"I'll get the ring," Frank said suddenly. "It's the fastest way. I'll turn into a dragon — meet you on the boat." 

Piper hesitated. "Are you sure splitting up is the best idea?" 

"We don't have a choice," Jason murmured. 

Leo cleared his throat. "We'll distract them, keep them away from Frank." 

Frank nodded. He walked a few steps back and took a running leap into the air. 

Leo had seen him do it hundreds of times, but watching Frank's hand morph into claws, and wings extending out of his scaled back always left him in awe. 

The red dragon shot through the sky like a bullet, its resounding roars and beating of its wings growing softer every second. 

"Go, go," Jason urged Piper, helping her down the slope. She hurried down, sliding down grass and running over rocks. 

Leo drew a hammer from his tool belt and slammed it over the first warrior's head. 

The warrior crumpled like a piece of paper, but another two simply replaced him. 

Leo sprinted after his friends, making sure nothing got close enough to Piper to hurt her. 

She was panting from the exercise, her eyes flashing with fear as she scrambled away from their opponents. 

Leo heard a yell, and an arc of lightning fried a few warriors like burnt toast. He frantically tossed heavy objects towards the warriors as they raced down the hill. 

As every second passed, the Argo II's silhouette became clearer and more obvious. 

Leo held fire in either palm and waved his arms frantically, hoping Hazel would spot them coming. 

His heart lurched with relief asigjt coursed through the deck of the Argo II, illuminating a sleepy Hazel and Festus. 

"Piper!" Jason shouted as an invictus lumbered toward her. 

Piper spun around and slashed her knife across the monster's abdomen. She ducked as Leo's fireball soared overhead and slammed into the invictus and knocked it to the ground. 

They were so close to the ship, Leo could see the flaring of Festus' nostrils as he prepared to defend the ship. 

A loud roar echoed, causing Leo to glance up. 

Frank the dragon swooped down, blowing fire at a row of monsters, his claws stretching out to grab Piper by the shirt. 

She was lifted into the air, shrieking and clinging on for fear life, as Frank deposited her safely on the ship's deck. 

"Go! Go!" Leo yelled at the top of his lungs. "Festus, activate Protocol Auto-Pilot!" 

The ship creaked to life, Leo's new upgrades kicking in. He watched with satisfaction as the main sail was hoisted, ropes flying all over the ship as the anchor was lifted and the engine thrummed to life. 

Hazel had helped Piper belowdeck, but Frank was left stumbling on the deck, slightly dazed from his transformation back into human. 

Leo has never run so fast in his entire life. There were monsters hot on his trail, but his legs were burning with cramps. 

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Leo was suddenly reminded of a Biology lesson in anaerobic respiration when he was younger. 

Something slammed into Leo from behind, strong arms wrapping around his waist as Leo's feet were lifted off the ground. 

"Hold on," came Jason's voice as they flew into the air, leaving the monsters behind. 

As they gained altitude, Leo saw the Argo II start to move out of the harbour, rotating until it began sailing out to sea. 

Leo clung onto his best friend until his feet touched the deck of the Argo II, staggering forward with momentum. 

Jason rushed up to Hazel. "How's Piper?" 

"Resting," Hazel assured him. "She's fine, just a little winded."

"And the ring?" he asked Frank. 

Hazel pulled something off her hand. A single metal band dotted with sparkling crystals. 

She handed it to Leo, who inspected the ring. There was an inscription in Greek on the inside. 

"Sight," Leo translated. He passed it back to Frank, who slipped it on to his finger for safekeeping.

"One down," Frank sighed. "Four to go."


	20. Castles and Curses

Percy's eyelids flickered open and close, feeling like ten pounds were weighing on them. He groaned softly when he tried to sit up, his muscles aching and cramping up as he moved. 

His sleep had been utterly free of the demigod dreams that used to plague him so much, as it had been since his capture. 

Percy rubbed his eyes sleepily as he scanned his surroundings. Unfortunately, he was still in Tartarus, hidden behind a wall of rock. 

Annabeth sat cross-legged against a wall, gazing out to the never-ending barren plains that stretched across Tartarus. Her blonde hair hung around her face, matted with dirt and gravel. 

There was a scratch mark on her cheek — probably from the rocks on the floor — and a half-eaten piece of bread lay on her backpack. She'd only taken a few bites out of it. 

"You okay?" Percy asked carefully. During the night — or whatever time it was in Tartarus — Annabeth had woken up, sobbing and gasping for breath. But she hadn't told him anything about it. 

Annabeth glanced at him, startled. "You're awake." She fiddled with a piece of her hair. "Just a dream." 

Percy frowned. "You know that it's never just a dream."

She looked dow at her lap. "There was a woman — a mermaid, with blue hair and golden eyes. She was chained to the ground, and she kept asking me to free her from her prison." 

"Blue hair?" Percy repeated. "Sounds like someone from my dad's court." It felt weird saying "dad" again. Percy hadn't had contact with his father in a half a decade. 

Annabeth shrugged. "Maybe. She said the key to free her was in her old prison. And something about her husband wanting to destroy Olympus on your birthday." 

Percy sighed grimly. "My birthday? A cake would've been fine." He stared at her. "Is that all?" 

She nodded, but something in her eyes told him otherwise. 

Percy unwrapped a sandwich from his bag. His stomach was so empty he felt like it was trying toi devour itself. 

"Want some?" Percy offered, tearing off half of his bread. 

Annabeth shook her head. "Not hungry." 

Percy frowned. "What? Annabeth, seriously, you need to eat. Two bites out of your bread isn't enough." 

"Percy, just drop it," Annabeth said in a dangerously low tone. 

"I'm worried about you," Percy sighed in frustration for about the third time since they'd been in Tartarus. "You're skinnier than a stick, and it's not healthy!" 

"I told you, I'm fine," Annabeth insisted. "Piper doesn't know what she's talking about, okay?" 

"Does she?" Percy demanded. "Annabeth, you're killing yourself!" 

"Stop!" Annabeth cried. 

Her yell echoed around, reverberating off the walls and bouncing back to them. 

Percy's heart plummeted to the bottom of his stomach as he heard a rapid batting of wings that sent a shudder through him. 

Both of them froze in horror. 

"Pack up," Annabeth whispered fearfully. "Now." 

For once, there was no argument. Percy shoved his things into his pack and helped Annabeth up with trembling hands. The sound could only mean one thing. 

Percy ducked under the rock archway and was met with a sight that nearly sent him curling up into a ball on the ground from terror. 

Dark figures descended from above, arched wings and claws giving them away as the arai. 

Percy recalled the last encounter he and Annabeth had had with the arai. Annabeth had gone blind, and both of them would have died incredibly painful deaths if it wasn't for Bob. 

Unfortunately, Percy didn't have a spear-wielding Titan on his side anymore. 

Percy sprinted forward, his footsteps pounding against the floor, Annabeth at his heels as they made a mad dash for escape. 

"Oh, honeys," one of the arai hissed. "There's no escaping us." 

More and more started sipping down from above, forming a congregation as they relentlessly pursued the two demigods. 

"Percy!" Annabeth shouted as she leaped up and slammed one of them out of the air with the jolt of her dagger. 

Percy smacked another with the flat of his blade, sending it hurtling through the air. He was careful not to kill it — Percy was used to bad luck, but he had had enough curses for a lifetime. 

They leaped over boulders, running across the rocky ground. Percy didn't even know where they were running to. 

"What's the plan?" Percy panted. 

"They're converging," Annabeth rushed, her hand clutched to the side as she winced in pain. "Split up!" 

Percy promptly skidded to the side, drifting away from Annabeth. A few of the wrinkly monsters peeled off from the pack to follow him. 

The impact of his feet against the ground shook him to his core, but Percy kept running — because his life actually did depend on it. 

But Percy had always had the rottenest luck. 

The fog cleared to reveal a sky-scraping rock wall looked ominously ahead. It was a dead end. 

Percy spun around, wielding Riptide and assuming a defensive stance. He didn't have a choice but to face them. 

As the arai swooped down for the kill, Percy's training kicked into action. He batted one away and knocked another one unconscious with a hit to the head. 

It's nice to see you again, sea scum, one of the arai hissed. 

Another cackled. Come back for more curses? Don't fret, you've barely scratched the surface of what we have in store for you. 

His senses searched desperately for any source of water, but the nearest river was miles away. 

Percy's split second of distraction was enough for one of the monsters to rake its claws across his chest, making him grit his teeth in pain. The slices on his skin burned as the dust in the atmosphere stung his wounds. 

A loud screech sent him stumbling backwards. Percy slashed upwards and felt his blade cut cleanly through one of the arai. It exploded into bronze dust, settling in his hair and dotting the landscape. 

Almost instantly, a piercing pain in Percy's gut nearly made him drop his sword. He cried out in pain and instinctively lifted up his shirt. 

Right in the middle of his lower abdomen, there was a stab wound, stained with blood. Percy hissed in pain as he stumbled away from the monsters. 

He felt his right foot catch on a jutting rock, and before Percy could comprehend the situation, his back slammed against the ground, knocking the air right out of him. 

Percy ignored the burning pain in his chest and the pangs in his gut. He scrambled backwards, frantically grasping Riptide. 

One of the arai was flying straight for him, fangs bared. 

Percy held up a hand instinctively as he cringed, bracing himself for the final blow. 

He heard an angry shriek from the monster, and then a very human yell. Pulling his hand away, Percy's eyes widened as he saw Annabeth clinging onto the back of the arae attacking him. 

She had her arms locked around the monsters throat, keeping it in a headlock as the arae furiously flapped its wings. The monster struggled to throw her off, but Annabeth clung on for dear life. 

Finally, the monster sagged from a lack of oxygen and started hurtling towards the ground. 

"Annabeth!" Percy staggered to his feet and hurried to where they had crash-landed. 

He swatted two of the arai out of the air as Annabeth struggled to her feet. 

She drew her dagger, standing with her back to his. 

Percy slammed the hilt of his sword against an arae's head. "Thanks." 

"No problem," she panted. 

The two of them backed up, side by side as their gazes darted from monster to monster. 

The arai hung dangerously close, their sneers prominent amongst their muddled features. 

Percy gripped his sword bravely. He would fight them off, give Annabeth a chance to escape. 

And then, just like a wind changing direction, everything around Percy changed. 

The temperature dropped, the air grew stagnant, and the sky, if it was even possible, darkened. 

Percy wondered feverishly if he was hallucinating from blood loss. He could smell the metallic odour of his own blood. It made him feel nauseous. 

The arai came to a halt in the air.

No trespassing, one of them hissed, sounding almost...afraid. 

Mother will punish us, another one said with a shudder. 

They cast vehement looks at Percy and Annabeth before they zoomed off back the way they came, disappearing in the distance. 

Percy's sword arm drooped. "They're gone," he said faintly, nearly keeling over. 

Annabeth glanced at him and her eyebrows shot upwards in alarm. "Percy! You're bleeding!" 

He felt her tug at his arm, and he followed, blindly, until she eased him down behind a boulder. 

"I killed one of them," Percy said dizzily. "Oops." 

Annabeth shook her head exasperatedly. "What were you thinking?" She started pulling first aid supplies out of her pack 

"It's not like I wanted to get cursed," Percy tried to protest. "How did get away without killing them?" 

Annabeth waved a hand dismissively. "Later. Take off your shirt." 

Percy blinked. "Sorry, I think I've lost too much blood. I thought you asked me to take off my shirt." 

She rolled her eyes. "I did." 

"Uh—"

"Do you want to bleed out or not?" Annabeth said threateningly. 

Percy shrugged off his shirt and left it in a pile on the ground. The cold air made his muscles tense and his wounds sting. He hissed in pain. 

Annabeth started wrapping bandages around his abdomen, making sure to apply pressure on the stab wound. 

She tried to ignore his rippling back muscles and abs, but it was harder when it was right in front of her face. Annabeth felt her face burning from embarrassment, and she prayed that it was dark enough that Percy couldn't tell. 

"You could be a nurse," Percy said sleepily, chewing on some ambrosia. 

Annabeth glanced up at him. His eyes were slightly hazy, and his eyelids were drooping. That probably wasn't a good sign. "I took a first aid course back at camp," she explained. "It was compulsory for all campers." 

"I probably need that." Percy was speaking more clearly now — a direct effect of the godly food. 

Annabeth handed him his shirt and averted her gaze as he pulled it back on. There was the familiar brushing sound as Percy capped Ritpide and slipped the pen back into his pocket. 

"The arai," Percy started. "Why did they leave?" He sounded wary. "Anything that can scare them away, terrifies me." 

Annabeth sighed as she zipped up her pack and hoisted it on her back. She stood up beside him. "We're in Nyx's domain now." 

Percy felt a trickling feeling of dread wash over him. He glanced behind. The wall of rock had disappeared, replaced by spires of stone, blacker than anything he had ever seen before. 

The ground was covered in grass — dead grass, to be exact. It was as if all signs of life had withered and died. 

"And that's Nyx's castle, isn't it?" Percy said morosely. "Where our exit home is?" 

Annabeth swallowed. "Yeah." 

Percy shifted his weight nervously. "See, I was afraid of that." 

He led the way, beginning their long hike to the palace of Night. Hopefully his eyes wouldn't be ruined by the sight of it. 

It was so dark that Percy began imagining silhouettes moving all around them. He shook his head to get the thoughts out of his mind. 

"What's the plan?" Annabeth's voice broke the silence like a knife. 

Percy stared at his feet as they walked. The rhythmic steps helped him stay calm after the fight they'd just been through. 

"That's usually your job," he said with a half-hearted grin. 

She turned away to hide her smile, but Percy caught it, and it made him feel better. 

"We find Hemera," Annabeth instructed logically. "Ask her for the spell, and get the hell out of here." 

Percy laughed. 

"She could be anywhere," Annabeth reasoned. "We would probably cover more ground if we split up..." 

"Let's not," Percy interjected quickly. He blushed. "I mean, it's Nyx's palace." 

Annabeth smiled faintly. "Yeah." Relief washed over her features. 

"Any idea what this exit might look like?" Percy asked, glancing at her. 

She was tying her hair up into a ponytail, the dim light from her dagger at her waist reflecting off her blonde curls. 

Annabeth shook her head. 

"Maybe like the Doors of Death," Percy suggested. With a jolt, Percy realised that only one of them might leave Tartarus. 

The last time they were here, someone else had to hold the lift open. Someone had to stay behind. 

It seemed Annabeth had followed the same train of thoughts as him. "If it comes to that," Annabeth said quietly. "You have to leave me." 

Percy came to a sudden halt. "No way."

Annabeth sighed. "Percy, it could be the only way." She continued walking. 

He scoffed. "What? No! I should be the one to stay." Percy hurried to catch up with her. 

"You've been through enough," Annabeth said determinedly. 

"So have you," he said pleadingly. 

"You're our best bet at winning this war," Annabeth insisted. "As hard as it is to say this, you're stronger." 

Percy snorted. "Okay, firstly, I'm remembering this moment for future use. And secondly, you're the brains of the team! Without you, we'd just be six idiots running in circles." 

Annabeth couldn't help the peals of laughter that escaped her. "That's not the point—"

"No, this isn't a discussion," Percy said decidedly. "I'm not leaving you—I won't leave you." He gave her a pointed look. 

Annabeth sighed frustratedly. "We'll talk about this later." She turned away from him and looked up at Nyx's palace. 

The castle was even more formidable up close. The black stone that the palace was carved out of was blocks of dark marble, and the grandeur of it radiated sheer power. 

Annabeth felt so insignificant next to it. She was just a demigod. This was the home of one of the most powerful beings in the universe, one of the first — one of the primordials. 

She let out a shudder at the thought of facing Nyx again. Annabeth wasn't so sure they could pass for tourists this time. 

"Should I knock or should you?" came Percy's voice. 

Annabeth resisted the urge to roll her eyes again. Scanning the castle wall, Annabeth caught sight of windows lining what looked like the second floor of the palace. 

She walked further along the wall, until she came to a stop at the farthest window. 

"We climb," Annabeth told him. 

She ran her fingers along the wall, looking for handholds.

As Annabeth hoisted herself further up the wall, she started to get the hang of it. The stones were aligned and equal distances apart, so cracks were frequent and easy to find. 

It was like scaling a climbing wall without her eyes. 

Every few seconds, Annabeth would glance down to check on Percy. Of course, after a few minutes, he had caught up with and overtaken her. 

Annabeth glared at him from behind. Five years in captivity and he was still stronger than she was. 

Percy reached the window before she did, and he pulled her inside when she arrived, only a few steps behind him. 

"I thought the Mansion of Night had horrors to great for mortal eyes," Percy said as he glanced around the room they had sneaked into. 

Annabeth climbed down from the window sill and rubbed her chafed hands together. "I've seen some pretty horrible things." 

She peeked her head out the doorframe and peered round the bend. 

The corridor was darker than she thought was even possible, and objects of interest — statues, paintings, displays — lined the walls. 

"Let's go," she whispered, beckoning for Percy to follow her. 

Annabeth treaded quietly as she exited the room and walked along the corridor. 

"What is this?" she heard Percy murmur to himself. 

She glanced behind to see him staring at a glass ball atop a stand. 

Percy was gazing into it with awe and wonderment, as if he was hypnotised or under a spell. 

Annabeth's gaze flickered momentarily to the glass ball. The words "το μάτι στο φόβο" were inscribed on a plague — "the Eye to Fear". 

"Percy," she hissed, tugging on his arm. "Percy, come on." 

When he didn't respond, Annabeth glanced back at the glass ball impatiently. To her surprise, she was met with her own face, glaring at Percy as she turned away from him. The scene in the glass ball shifted to accommodate a crowd of demigods — familiar faces of her friends — separate from Percy. 

"You are not one of us," glass-ball-Thalia growled. 

The scene shifted once again as the camp was shown in ruins — not too different from Annabeth's dream. 

"You could've done more."

Annabeth watched in horror as her glass-ball-alter-ego went limp, joining the bodies of hundreds of demigods littering the field. 

"Percy," Annabeth said, more sharply this time.

Percy stumbled backwards, his eyes filled with fear as he sluggishly glanced at her.

"It wasn't real," she promised, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze. Annabeth instantly regretted it and forced herself away. She turned away, swallowed down the lump in her throat. "Keep going." 

They trailed down the corridor in silence, Percy seemingly still half-in a trance. 

Annabeth desperately wanted to talk to him about what she had seen in the glass ball. But what was she supposed to say? 

She had seen Percy's worst fear — being turned away from his home, and not being able to save the world. 

It had been his fatal flaw all those years ago. 

Athena had said that Percy would give up the world to save a friend — he had told Annabeth. 

Annabeth was sure that that hadn't changed.

"There," Percy broke her out of her thoughts. He was pale and looked pretty nauseous. But he didn't seem like he wanted to talk  
about it, so Annabeth decided to move on. 

She followed his gaze to see a faint glow of light shining from under a door. Despite the low brightness, Annabeth had to blink the spots out of her eyes from seeing light after so much darkness. 

And only one person could have light in a place like this. 

"Hemera," Percy confirmed, echoing her thoughts exactly. 

Annabeth burst through the doors, and, sure enough, there she was. 

Hemera was chained to the ground with midnight-black manacles, and her glowing aura as flickering rapidly. 

Annabeth grasped for something — anything — to say. 

The goddess looked up, her features knitted with concern rippling over with relief. "Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson," she breathed. "Heroes of Olympus."


	21. The Ring of Time

"και τους τουριστικούς χώρους?" Leo asked the stall vendor. 

The vendor pointed to the right, then to the left. "Τα ερείπια του ναού του Απόλλωνα είναι εκεί, από το μοναστήρ."

Frank rapped his foot impatiently as they exchanged a few more phrases in Greek. It seemed that Leo had told a joke, making the vendor laugh. 

"Εύχομαι περισσότεροι τουρίστες ήταν σαν εσένα," the vendor chuckled as he handed Leo a complimentary hot dog. 

Leo winked at him. "Ω, δεν υπάρχει κανένας σαν εμένα." He turned around and walked towards Frank. 

"Have a nice chat?" Frank frowned. 

Leo shrugged. "Sorry, man. Not my fault that you were born a Roman." He held out his hand. "Hot dog?" 

Frank rolled his eyes. "What did he say?" 

"The ruins of Apollo's temple are that way." Leo gestured as he took a massive bite out of his hot dog. 

Frank ran his thumb over the Sight ring that sat on his left ring finger. This was the second ring they were to retrieve for Mnemosyne. 

Since the ring had appeared in a place of relevance in Greek mythology, the demigods had begun a journey of all the tourist sites of the Greek islands. 

Frank and Leo — the delegated explorers — hiked up the hill under the sweltering heat. 

Even Leo, who could withstand unbearably high temperatures, was slightly dizzy from the heat. 

"Why does it have to be summer?" Frank grumbled. "Why couldn't Tartarus have decided to attack in spring?" 

"And in Maine," Leo groaned. "Or Florida." 

"C'mon," Frank said desperately, beckoning half-heartedly for Leo to follow him. He squinted to see the temple ruins against the blinding sunlight. "Almost there." 

"Why is there always a hill?" Leo whined as he stumbled after Frank. 

Both of them stopped once they reached the summit, panting breathlessly. 

Leo sat down on the grass and lay down, spreading his limbs to get the most of the short-lived cool breeze. 

Frank scanned the area as he caught his breath. Tourists were milling about, snapping pictures and admiring the remains of Apollo's temple. It was mainly a pile of rocks, with only one wall fully maintained. 

"We should start searching inside," Frank said glumly. "Then we can leave." 

"Enjoy the view, Frank," Leo insisted. He opened his eyes, raising a hand to block off the sunlight. The temple lay on a barren plain surrounded by the sea. "How often are we going to be on the Greek islands?" 

"I'm never coming back," Frank declared. "Every time we come to Greece, someone is trying to take over the world. Whether it's the Earth or a pit of darkness..." 

"Frank," Leo said sharply. His gaze had caught on an insect that was crawling down his sleeve. 

It had feelers that twitched rapidly, six legs, and a red abdomen that resembled that of a beetle. The weirdest thing was that the insect's beady eyes seemed to be staring at him. 

Leo let out a yell of pain as razor-sharp teeth suddenly shot out of the insect's mouth, and sank deep into his arm. 

"Ow!" Leo leaped to his feet in horror as he swatted the insect off. "What in the—"

The insect fell off and Leo inspected his arm. For such a small thing, it left a big bite. The area surrounding it was swelling with redness, and blood oozed out of the cut. 

Leo felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. "Poison," he said faintly as he stared blankly at the bite. Leo slowly looked down to see a whole flurry of identical insects, swarming along the ground, running onto his shoes and trying to reach his bare legs. 

"Monster insects!" Frank shouted as hundreds of them started crawling out from the ground and surrounding him. 

A flame appeared in Leo's palm, and he shot a ring of fire into the ground, searing a whole row of insects. 

Tourists around them were starting to pay attention to the commotion, and strange glances were thrown their way. 

"Get off! Get off!" Frank yelled, shaking his legs rapidly. 

More and more insects seemed to miraculously appear as of from nowhere, and began feasting on the two demigods. Leo wished he had Annabeth to tell them what kind of monsters they were. 

With a loud roar, Frank suddenly transformed into a lion. He trampled across the grass, crushing insects as he went, and swiping them off him with his claws.

But then they got in his mane, and Frank was forced to turn into something else. 

Leo, meanwhile, had resorted to fire to get them off. He shot fireballs at the insects and burned them into the ground. 

But some of them got through, and Leo was quickly bleeding all over. "What are these?" he yelped in pain. "Cannibal insects?" 

Frank has turned into a vulture and was soaring overhead in an attempt to shake the bugs off. He let out a screech before making land again and morphing into a snake. 

On the other side of the hill, Leo began to realise that fire might not have been a good idea. The small patches of weeds had caught fire, effectively spreading the flames across the landscape. 

Tourists backed away in a panic from the fire, although they didn't seem to notice the flesh-eating insects launching attacks. 

"Uh, Frank?" Leo called out frantically. "Some help?" Fire burned all around him, roasting insects left and right. But he could only start fires, not stop them. 

A deafening trumpeting noise made Leo instinctively wince and cover his ears. His eyes widened as he saw a gigantic grey elephant stampeding across the hill towards him. 

"That's—that's an elephant!" one of the mortals screamed, sending everyone into a flurry of panic.

Someone was yelling into a phone, probably to the fire department. 

Frank the elephant lifted up his trunk and sprayed a fountain of water across the hill. Leo figures he must've sucked up some of the seawater. 

The monster-insect-hybrids hung from Frank's wrinkled animal hide, biting into it and drawing blood. 

"Frank, distract them!" Leo shouted, an idea popping into his head. 

Frank trumpeted again, more exasperatedly this time, as if to say, What do you think I've been doing? 

Leo sprinted away from the insect infestation and crawled into the temple ruins. Ignoring the jutting rocks digging into his knees, Leo scrabbled among the ground, sifting through the gravel and crumbling rock. 

Amongst the dust, Leo's fingers brushed again something cold — metal. 

"Yes," he hissed triumphantly as he pulled out the ring. 

The word 'χρόνος' was inscribed on the band. Ancient Greek for 'time'. 

Leo slipped it onto his finger and pulled himself out of the temple. 

Almost instantly, he was mobbed by the insects, weighing him down such that he fell into the ground. 

"Gah!" Leo spluttered as he felt the insects running along his arms and legs and t-shirt. "Frank, follow me!" he shouted as an idea popped into his head. 

Leo took off in a mad sprint down the hill, towards the edge of the cliff and the water below. He tried his best to shake off the insects as he ran by flailing is arms wildly. 

When Leo reached the edge, he took a flying jump off the cliff. 

The next few seconds of free-fall struck terror into his heart. Then he landed in the water with an enormous splash, sending water flying in all directions. 

Leo took a gulp of breath and stayed underwater for a few seconds, squeezing his eyes shut. He felt the insects unlatch from his skin and clothes from a lack of oxygen. 

When his lungs began to burn, Leo burst through the surface, gasping for breath. The saltwater made the bites on his skin sting. 

"Frank!" Leo hollered, spitting salty water out of his mouth. He teased the water as his gaze snapped from side to side. 

Frank surfaced on his right — as a dolphin, this time. He let out a chittering noise, which Leo took as his signal to hop on. 

As Leo struggled to get his leg over Frank's back, he glanced behind at the island. 

The insects had formed long chains that allowed them to float on the water like a raft. They were nothing if not innovative, Leo decided. 

Leo patted Frank on the side, urging him to start swimming. 

It took them a few minutes to completely circle the island, but the Argo II soon came into sight. 

Leo waved to some tourists who did double takes upon seeing him riding a dolphin. 

The gangplank lowered to reveal Jason standing at the edge with an expression of disbelief, and Hazel behind him who laughed at the absurdity of the situation. 

She pulled Leo up by the arms and gasped. "Leo, your arms!" 

"Explain later," Leo said dismissively. He stumbled forward onto the deck, the insect poison starting to affect his mind as the adrenaline wore off. 

He collapsed on the couch in exhaustion as Hazel ran downstairs to the infirmary to grab their first-aid kit. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Leo saw Jason supporting Frank, who had passed out from his consecutive transformations. 

"Festus," Leo called, and was met with various creaks and squeaks. "Sail for Limnos." 

There was the rolling of chain as the anchor was lifted and the bow of the ship was steered in another direction. Festus let out a stream of smoke as the Argo II turned away from Anafi's harbour and started towards their next destination. 

^^^^^

A pair of arms enveloped Piper in a hug from behind. She leaned back against Jason with a laugh. "Hey." 

He kissed her on the cheek and released her from his embrace. "You okay?" 

Piper smiled. "Never better. I slept for fourteen hours last night — I haven't slept that much since I was a baby." She glanced up at him. "How're Leo and Frank?" 

Jason shrugged. "They'll live. They were attacked by flesh-eating insects — some kind of monster that only resides on Anafi. I guess they were the first demigods on the island in a while." 

"Do they have the ring?" 

Jason nodded, pulling out a metal band from his pocket. "Leo actually said to give to you for safe-keeping." 

Piper hesitantly took the ring from Jason's palm and slipped it onto her left hand. "Which ring is it?" 

"Time," Jason explained. "Leo found it in the ruins of Apollo's temple." He studied her face. "Are you sure you're okay? You've been pretty quiet recently." 

Piper shook her head dismissively. "I'm fine, really. Just...in thought." She leaned against the railing such that she was facing him. "I'm due to give birth in a few weeks Jason. We don't even know what we're going to name him, who to make the godparents..." 

"Okay, okay," Jason interrupted, holding her by the shoulders. "Calm down, Pipes. Why don't we take it one problem at a time?" 

She nodded slowly. "Okay, names." 

"Matthew," Jason suggested. 

Piper wrinkled her nose. "Too modern. Finn?" 

Jason snorted. "As in Huckleberry?" He thought for a moment. "Ben." 

Piper pulled a face. "Too plain."

"What about Thomas?" he tried again. 

"The train?" Piper said incredulously. 

Jason let out a laugh. "Okay, okay, I see your point. What about..." He paused. "Jasper?" 

Piper opened her mouth, ready to give an excuse, when she realised that Jasper wasn't too bad a name. "I'll think about it," she said at last. "What about godparents?" 

Jason hesitated. "Well, Leo is my best friend, but so are all the others...who do we choose?" 

Piper gave him a strange look. "Leo. One hundred percent Leo," she said with absolute certainty. 

Jason ran a hand through his hair awkwardly. "The others won't be hurt?" 

Piper waved a hand dismissively. "We can take turns. Besides, Percy and Annabeth will probably have, like, eight kids, so we'll all get to be godparents at some point." 

Jason laughed, slipping his hand in hers. "I like the idea of Leo being responsible for a baby. He'll be amazing." 

Piper could barely hide her excitement. This is real, she though dizzily. They were really having a baby. "When should we tell him?" 

"Later," Jason promised. "After Hazel's patched him up a little more. I mean, this is huge." 

Piper stared out into the ocean. "Can you believe it? Next month we'll have a baby. An actual baby." 

Jason kissed her softly. "I love you so much," he whispered. 

Piper smiled. "I love you too."


	22. Limnos

Leo gave the steering wheel a whirl as he stared into the horizon. The sun had become simply a spot in his vision. 

"We're almost at Limnos," he said nervously. "And we still have no idea where the ring could be. Not even a general direction." 

Piper, who was sitting on the deck with a jar of cookies tucked under one arm, groaned as she seemed to reach the same conclusion. "You're right. Mnemosyne didn't leave us any clues." 

"Limnos is a whole island," Leo added. "One of the biggest in Greece. What are we supposed to do? Scour every square mile until we find it?" 

Piper snorted. "It's worse than looking for a needle in a haystack." 

Leo chuckled. He placed Festus on autopilot and walked over to join Piper on the deck. "You feeling better?" 

Piper made a face. She'd been through a whole flurry of vomiting, leaving her in the bathroom for majority of the previous evening. "Well, I'm not throwing up anymore." 

"Thank gods," Leo murmured under his breath, letting out a yelp as she elbowed him pointedly. 

"I'm getting all sorts of weird cravings now," Piper told him. 

Leo shrugged. "That's not too bad. Everyone wants a skittle now and then." 

Piper snorted and shifted to face him. "Last night, I cried because Jason couldn't find me any Oreo cake on the entire boat." She spread her arms in frustration. "Leo, I don't even like Oreos!" 

He wrapped an arm around her and let her lean into him. "Think about it, when you're done with this, you'll have a beautiful baby to make up for it." 

Piper looked down at her feet. "Yeah, I guess." 

"Don't even try to lie to me." 

"When the baby's here," Piper started slowly. She groaned and interrupted herself, "Oh, I can't say it! It's too horrible. You'll think I'm a bad person." 

Leo laughed. "Yeah, you're a bad person," he said sarcastically. 

"I won't even be able to help with the quest," Piper continued, visibly upset. "Leo, I feel so helpless — useless, even — whenever I have to stay on the boat. It's just like the first time we went on a quest." 

Leo kissed her forehead. "You're not useless. You're Piper McLean. You help us in different ways, Pipes. Everyone has a place on this team. Everyone." 

"You too," Piper reminded him. "Without you, we wouldn't even have made it off of Long Island." 

He chuckled. "That's right. I'm the Iron Man of the team." 

Piper rolled her eyes as she struggled to her feet. "Okay, don't go getting all arrogant now." 

Footsteps sent vibrations through the ship deck as Hazel and Jason came up the steps, deep in discussion. 

Leo glanced in between them. "What's going on?" 

Frank came up behind them, his face a pale white and eyes bright with alarm. "I think I'm going crazy." 

Leo held up his hands with raised eyebrows. "Okay, Frank. Bold first statement." 

Piper coughed discreetly and kicked Leo in the shin. 

He shot her a look of betrayal. "I was getting to the better part." Leo turned back to Frank. "But did you wonder if — maybe — you aren't going crazy?" 

Frank glared at him. 

"Just a thought," Leo said helpfully. 

"Hold up," Piper interrupted as she held up a mediating hand. "Frank, now, why do you think you're going crazy?" 

Frank glanced warily at Hazel and Jason. It appeared they'd already had this conversation.   
"I've been seeing these...images — flashes, more like — in my brain." 

Leo kept the straightest face he'd ever had. "A message from God?" 

"You know what—"

"No, stop," Piper ordered. "Frank, tell us about these flashes. What are they like?" 

Frank shook his head distractedly. "There are moments — the first one being a half hour ago — where a cave flashes before my eyes. I've seen a dark places, bright stones, but nothing that I can really make sense of." 

Jason frowned. "Nothing that might relate to the quest." 

Frank shook his head miserably. 

Hazel slid her hand in his and gave it a squeeze for reassurance. "Look, it's probably just a message from your dad—"

"Mars?" Frank snorted. 

"Or Ares," Piper offered. 

Frank held a grim expression. "Greek or Roman, I haven't heard from him in five years. Or any of the gods, as a matter of fact. Why would they contact us now? What's changed?" 

"Frank," Hazel said more sharply. "You know that, even with their mysterious ways, you have to trust in the gods." 

Frank clenched his jaw. "When have they ever done anything for me? Or for any of us?" 

"Your dad gave you that spear," Hazel reminded him. "Gave you the blessing of Mars, and Poseidon gave you the power to shape shift." 

"Look," Jason broke in. "Thalia told me once about a friend who lost trust in the gods. He ended up starting a war and dying. None of us want you to go down that path." 

An angry light seemed to dispel in Frank's eyes. He sighed and slumped into the couch. "You're right. I know you're right. I just get so angry sometimes..." 

"We all do." It was Leo, to everyone's surprise — even his own. 

Frank gave him a begrudgingly grateful look. 

"Back to the flashes," Leo cleared his throat. "Any ideas?" 

"Wait, you mentioned bright stones," Piper said suddenly. 

Frank nodded. "Diamonds, rubies, emeralds and some others I don't really know." 

Jason glanced at Hazel. "You don't think..."

Her brow furrowed. "I didn't think it was gems." 

Frank studied their faces. "What is it?" 

"Hazel was telling me — on our way up here — about something pulling on her senses," Jason explained. 

"Another entrance to Tartarus," Piper realised. 

Hazel hummed in agreement. "But if there's a hoard of gemstones somewhere in Limnos, then that might be the cause of all this." 

"Why would I be seeing gemstones?" Frank asked in confusion. 

Hazel felt another tug on her gut that led her gaze to land in the Sight ring resting on Frank's left ring finger. "The ring." 

Everyone glanced down at the simple crystal-encrusted band of silver. 

"The other rings," Hazel guessed. "They're trying to be found. The Sight ring must be connected to them somehow, and it's trying to lead us to the nearest ring." 

"In Limnos," Jason finished with understanding. 

Hazel nodded. "I figure, if we use Frank's visions and my senses, we can find the ring." 

A silence settled over them as they look at one another in astonishment. 

"We did it," Piper said in a muted tone. "We figured out how to find the ring." 

Jason let out a small laugh that broke the quietness. "What are we waiting for?" 

Leo rushed up to the wheel and took the Argo II off autopilot. "Okay, Hazel, Frank, stand at the bow of the ship. Try and get as much of that GPS things as you can, and tell me where to go." 

"As we get closer, Pontus will send his army to stop us," Jason warned, but his voice sounded upbeat with renewed positivity. "Piper and I will guard." 

A loud creaking noise pierced the air and Festus clanked onto the deck, as if the say, me too. 

Piper hugged Leo from behind. "Come on, let's do this." 

^^^^^ 

"That way!" Frank yelled, his voice travelling over the ship deck, alerting the rest of his questmates. 

The Sight ring was on his left ring finger, clutched so tightly in his fist that it left a mark on his palm. Frank's eyes were squeezed shut as he shouted instructions for Leo to follow. 

"Getting closer," Hazel hollered over the rushing wind. Her eyes were closed and her hand clasped in Frank's. "Go slightly right." 

As the hull creaked and the ship began to shift its angle, Jason's shout could be heard, "We've got company!" 

A pounding on the deck made Hazel's eyes spring open as she turned around. 

Three enormous winged demons had landed on the deck of the Argo II, each carrying a few invicta on either wing. The demons appear to be a cross between an incredibly large bald eagle and a griffin. 

"Leo, keep steering!" Hazel screamed as she raced towards her friends and picked her longsword off the deck.

She slashed at the first invictus, successfully creating a gash in its shell. Unfortunately, it healed back and lifted its sword to launch a strike on her. 

Hazel yelped as she rolled out of the way, her dad slamming into the ground. She groaned at the sudden wave of dizziness and groggily glanced to her right. 

The invictus' sword was embedded in the wood just next to her head, and the creature roared as it ripped it out of the wood. 

Hazel swept her legs across the deck with as much force as she could muster — a martial arts move taught to her by Coach Hedge himself — bringing the invictus crashing to the ground. 

She sliced down the length of its shell and kicked it roughly open. The stone opened and the water seeped into the wood aimlessly, until just two halves of an empty shell remained. 

Hazel forced herself to look up and ease her panting. 

Piper was having trouble defending herself against one of the large eagles. It slashed its iron talons at her and had cornered her against the ship's side. 

She was pale, and Katoptris was gripped weakly in her hand as she desperately tried to land a hit. Hazel spotted the bloody stripes that lined her forearm. 

Hazel gritted her teeth and flung her sword with as much might as she could, grotesquely impaling the eagle from behind. 

It reared back with a screech, leaving Piper with a few moments to get away. She scrambled to safety as quickly as she could, breathing heavily as she rushed over to Leo. 

Hazel was peripherally aware of Piper and Leo arguing at the wheel. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she felt like screaming at them to stop fighting with each other and start fighting the monsters. 

Ignoring her friends, Hazel bounded up to the eagle and ripped the sword out of the eagle's back. It let out another bloodcurdling screech, allowing her to sling one arm around the eagle's neck to grab the lower part of her sword. 

Hazel pulled as hard as she could, using the shaft of her longsword to cut off the eagle's airflow, strangling it in the process. 

She held it there, wincing at the stinging of cuts on her palms, until the eagle flopped onto the deck with a final whine and cease moving completely. 

Hazel stumbled back, exhausted. Her sword clattered to the ground as she keeled over, her knees hiring the deck. 

The deck shook once more, and Hazel gazed up to see an invictus standing over her, its sword raised for a triumphant final strike. 

Out of the blue, something slammed into the invictus from behind, knocking it over. It was Frank, turned into a bear with enough strength to tackle the monster. 

Hazel heard Jason grunt with effort as he fought to disarm the invictus. A figure leaped onto the invictus' back, and the water spirit swirling angrily inside evaporated without warning. 

Leo dropped down beside it with a wild grin on his face. He held out a hand, which Hazel gratefully took as she struggled to her feet. 

Leo frowned at the cuts on her palm. "You're hurt." 

Hazel smiled at him. "I'll be fine. Thanks." She glanced back to see Piper at the wheel, wildly steering it towards Limnos. 

A loud growl resounded as Frank the bear suddenly flickered and shifted back into human form, clutching his head. 

"Straight ahead!" Frank yelled. "It's in a mountain! The ring's in a mountain!" 

A large claw whacked Frank overboard, pulling a yell of fear from Hazel's lips, "Frank!" 

The eagle that had hit him over bared its fangs at her. Hazel leaped at it in a rush of fury, slashing and parrying like a madwoman. 

She didn't quite know what happened next, but when she staggered to the ground again, the eagle was just a small pile of bronze ashes on the ground. 

Leo whooped and cheered loudly. "That was the most bad-ass thing I've ever seen!" He threw another hammer at an invictus, pummelling it backwards where Jason fried it with lightning. 

"Where's Frank?" Hazel shouted over the hubbub. She spotted another invictus lumbering towards Piper, and she made a dash for her pregnant friend. 

A creature suddenly flopped onto the deck at Hazel's feet. It was a dolphin, and she raised her sword threateningly. 

"—it's me! It's me! It's me!" The dolphin quickly changed into a frantic Frank, shielding his face instinctively. 

Hazel let out a hysterical sob. "Oh my gods, Frank, I thought you were dead!" She punched his chest with a cry. "Don't ever do that to me again!" 

She felt his arms envelop her in his warmth as they held each other in the middle of the battle. Hazel buried her head in the crook of his neck. 

The sound of metal clashing against metal rang in her ears, but Hazel refused to leave Frank's embrace. 

It made her feel safe. 

"We're here!" Piper's shout rang out. "Guys, we're here!" 

A blaze of fire from Festus incinerated an invictus as Jason cut down the last one with his sword. 

Hazel grabbed Frank's hand and pulled him towards the gangplank, which Piper had already lowered. They were running out of time before stronger forces found them again. 

"I'll stay!" Piper shouted. "To watch the ship! Be safe! Good luck!" Hazel watched as she gave Jason a fleeting kiss and he murmured something that made her laugh before rushing off the ship to join Hazel and Frank. 

Leo was saying something to Festus, which the metal dragon apparently understood, because he creaked in reply and bounded closer to Piper. 

The gangplank lifted as Leo leaped off onto the ground, kicking up sand at his shoes. 

Frank forged ahead with Hazel by his side, conversing as they figured out the most direct route to the third ring. 

It led them to Mount Skopia, the tallest point of Limnos. 

They scrambled up the hill, scrabbling for handholds in the grass as they split up to find the entrance. 

Jason discovered the opening under a large boulder, and he and Hazel, together, rolled it aside to reveal the entrance into the mountain. 

Hazel ignored the immediate claustrophobia that overwhelmed her and hurried after Jason. 

They were soon sprinting down the cobblestone path, with Leo and Frank at their heels. 

The inside of the mountain was decorated with large crystals and gemstones of every colour. Hazel was getting an overload on all her senses, and she nearly collapsed before Jason grabbed her by the arm. 

She glanced behind to see Frank being helped along by Leo. The visions were stronger the closer they got to the ring, so they had to be nearly completely blinding him by now. 

"It's under blue stones!" Frank shouted. 

The names instantly ran through Hazel's mind. Topaz? Lapis? 

She reached out with her senses for any of them, and ran from area to area, rummaging around for the ring. 

"They're here!" she heard Leo groan, meaning that the warriors had finally found them. 

Hazel desperately sifted through the gems, and her fingers suddenly grasped something cooler than gemstones. She pulled her arm out from the pile to reveal a silver ring, similar to Frank's and Piper's. She slid it on her finger and slid down a pillar of granite. 

Her gaze flickered around, assessing the damage. 

The warriors had caved in the only entrance, and most likely, the only exit. Her friends were busy fighting them to even worry about escaping. 

Hazel saw Frank glancing around absently, searching for her among the gemstones with an expression of confusion. The visions must've stopped once she'd find the ring. 

Hazel didn't know what to do. She was stuck in an impossible situation. 

Then she remembered something she had said. 

The rings were connected. 

Hazel clutched the ring in her fist and closed her eyes, praying that this would work. 

^^^^^ 

"Give up," the warrior snarled. 

Jason gritted his teeth to hold back a retort. The cold metal of the blade was pressed against his neck, makings his heart palpitations speed up. 

His sword lay in its coin form in his pocket, and both his hands were held behind his head.   
Hazel was nowhere to be seen, and Leo and Frank were in similar positions to him. 

The warriors communicated in hushed whispers, keeping all their information away from the demigods. Jason caught snatches of their conversation — they were unsure of whether to kill them or bring them back to Tartarus. 

Jason started formulating a plan in his head. Worst case scenario, they were killed. He felt his heart lurch at the thought of never seeing his baby. But Piper would have to find a way to complete the rest of the quest. Maybe meet up with Percy and Annabeth along the way. 

Jason regretted that he didn't get to see them one last time. He spent five years away from Percy, and it was even worse now with only a few days with him. And Annabeth was practically his sister. He wanted to make sure that she would be okay. 

"Kill them..." Jason heard. "...only foolproof way." 

Leo shot him a look of alarm. Jason realised with a jolt of despair that Leo still had Calypso back at camp. 

"We're demigods," Leo tried. "Aren't we of any use to Tartarus?" 

One of the warriors snorted. "We have the other boy and girl for that. Nyx will capture them once they step foot in her palace." 

Jason felt a sudden spurt of hope. Percy and Annabeth were alive and almost to Nyx's palace. Hopefully they would find Hemera, get the spell and return to Earth without getting too hurt. 

He glanced at Frank and Leo. Frank was still looking around for Hazel. 

Jason caught Leo's gaze, which was hard and full of meaning. Spotting a small knife by Leo's feet, Jason realised that he must have slipped it out of his tool belt. 

Move it, Leo mouthed inconspicuously. 

Jason frowned. He didn't think he could even do that. That was more telekinetic than wind. 

All the same, they were out of options. Jason concentrated on the wind currents in the hill — mostly stale air. He tried to circulate some of them without producing to much noise. 

The wind picked up without attracting the attention of the three warriors, and started to buffet the knife into the air. 

Jason clenched his hand into a fist behind his head, grinding his teeth as the knife continued to rise into the air. The suspended weapon travelled towards the warriors, high above their head where no one could see it. 

And in that moment, a deafening explosion threw them all into their backs, slamming Jason's head into the ground. 

Confusion raced through his brain and here was a ringing in his ears as Jason staggered to his feet, roughly pushing aside rubble. 

Was there a bomb? Had the warriors tried to kill them? 

The sight he was greeted with was both terrifying and relieving. The Argo II, cannons loaded and sails opened, was hovering overhead, with a familiar face at the bow of the ship. 

"Anyone order a pregnant woman?" Piper shouted as Festus swooped down from the ship to knock down the three warriors. 

Jason wanted to kiss her right there, but unfortunately, she was a few hundred feet above him. 

"Hazel!" Frank shouted. 

Jason saw Hazel running out from behind a pile of jewels, the ring glittering in her hand. His gaze shifted, and to his horror, the three warriors were ready to pounce. 

"Watch out!" Jason yelled, dashing in front of Hazel and parrying the strikes. Frank promptly transformed into a lion, roaring and leaping onto a warrior. 

"Jason!" Hazel shrieked. She tossed the ring, which Jason leapt into the air to catch before whirling around to stab the warrior in the gut. 

He wrenched his sword out, panting as the warrior's corpse lay still on the ground. "Leo!" 

Festus swooped down with Leo on his back, and the son of Hephaestus triumphantly grabbed Jason's hand, yanking him onto the dragon. 

A low rumbling noise alerted Jason to the shaking cavern.

"It's going to collapse!" Jason shouted, hoping Leo could hear him. He seemed to understand and muttered something into Festus' ear. 

Festus came down for a second round, lower this time, and Leo and Jason's outreached hands slid into Frank and Hazel's, pulling them onto the metal dragon. 

"Yes!" Leo crowed in delight as Festus made a beeline for the Argo II, leaving the lone warrior in the crumbling mountain. 

The rubble collapsed below them, burying whoever and whatever was under there for good. 

Festus landed on the deck, depositing the demigods. 

Jason slid off his back and promptly fell to the ground with a thud. Yellow spots danced before his eyes, and a blurry image of Piper kneeling down beside him with an expression of concern came to sight. 

He opened his right hand to reveal the ring. 

"Heart," he heard Piper translate.

Either of Jason's arms were slung around Frank's and Leo. He weakly held out the ring to Leo. "Wear it," Jason murmured as they went down the stairs. Everything was fuzzy and fading into black. 

Leo was hesitant, but fumbled with it before sliding it onto his right index finger. 

Jason sighed, content with the success of this mission, and he lay his head in Frank's shoulder's and allowed unconsciousness to take him.


	23. Chains of Darkness

Percy rubbed the black spots out of his eyes. 

"Hemera," Annabeth gasped. 

He glanced at Annabeth, finally able to see her in the light. Her face was gaunt with the terrors they'd been through, but her grey eyes were starting to regain the defiant light that had once been there when they were teenagers. 

Percy turned back to Hemera. 

After all that talk about finding the primordial of the day, she turned out to be exactly what he imagined. 

Hemera was beautiful, of course. She had light brown curls that tumbled down her shoulders to her waist, and soft, golden eyes. Percy was suddenly reminded of one of Hemera's grand-nieces — Hestia, the goddess of the hearth. 

Hemera quite literally radiated light, with her golden dress and flowers in her hair. But her arms were shackled to the ground in handcuffs of midnight-black. 

"Nyx did this to me," she said bitterly, noticing Percy's gaze. 

"We're here to help you," Percy assured her. He uncapped Riptide and slashed down on the chains. 

But they wouldn't budge. A strike that could've cleanly decapitated a person didn't even make a dent. 

Annabeth joined him and tried with her dagger, without any luck. 

"No blade can cut through pure darkness," Hemera explained miserably. "And the keys are with Nyx." 

Percy released the chains with a groan. "Of course." He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. 

He looked over at Annabeth, who was staring at the chains with a thoughtful expression. "What?" 

She frowned. "I'm not sure if it'll work—"

Footsteps suddenly echoed down the hallway, accompanied by squabbling voices. 

Percy glanced up at the same time Annabeth did, her eyes filled with alarm mirroring his. 

He grabbed her by the arm and dove behind the pillar Hemera was chained to. 

Percy held his breath as he shuffled closer to Annabeth, praying to the gods that they wouldn't be seen. 

"...this is ridiculous!" a shriek resounded. "You can't surely be thinking of joining forces with a menace like Tartarus! He'll start a war and lose —again." 

"He won't lose this time," another voice argued back. 

Percy's eyes widened. 

Nyx, Annabeth mouthed, confirming his suspicions. 

"He has a whole army," Nyx continued proudly. "With invicta, monsters beyond your wildest dreams, and superhuman warriors — trained by Perseus Jackson himself." 

Percy couldn't help pulling a face. He hated people calling him by his actual name. Although, at least he was a big deal to these monsters. 

"We owe them no loyalty this time," another voice insisted. "Tartarus and Pontus lead this war. Not Gaia. We don't owe them our allegiance." 

"When Tartarus and Pontus win," Nyx interjected sternly. "The world will be darkness. Everywhere will be darkness. Strife, old age, and sickness will thrive, and we can run free." She paused. "Now, on the other hand, if they win, and we did not back them during the war...Well, Tartarus does not forgive so easily." 

And if we are neutral? a voice hissed. 

Percy stiffened. It was one of the arai. 

"Tartarus will kill us anyway," Erin, the goddess of old age, said tiredly. 

"I don't see how this is even a discussion," someone argued. "We get to fight and kill demigods, and our chances of winning are insanely high. We have two primordials on this side — three, if we fight." 

We could lose our lives, an arae reminded them. 

Someone else hummed in agreement. "Zeus may not be as forgiving as the last few times. I refuse to be a prisoner of Tartarus." 

"That won't be a problem," Nyx assured them. "Pontus and Tartarus are more than a match for all the gods." 

Someone snorted. "Surely even you can't believe that." 

There was a silence that settled over them. 

Nyx sighed. "Tartarus has given me some information to persuade you — as a last resort." 

Curious murmurs spread across them. 

Percy exchanged worried glances with Annabeth. 

"Tartarus is raising the old enemies," Nyx started slowly. "They will be the force to turn the tide of the war." 

Gasps erupted from all around, and the room instantly broke into discussion. 

Percy turned to Annabeth, and was surprised to see her pale face and nervous expression. 

"Old enemies?" Percy whispered. 

Annabeth swallowed. "The Titans. The giants. Typhon. It could mean all of them. At the same time." 

Percy closed his eyes and rested his head on the pillar. This was even worse than he'd expected. Even if the gods could help them, there was no way they could even fight all their enemies at the same time. It simply wasn't possible. 

"Silence!" Nyx screeched, effectively shutting her children up. 

"The old enemies?" Erin demanded. "You know very well that they're even less reliable than Tartarus. They could turn on us out of hatred, jealousy, or even simply anger. We could be facing a three-way war." 

Percy felt sick. A three-way war would guarantee their deaths. Camp Half-Blood has no idea about any of this, or about the looming attack. They had to get a message to them before it was too late. 

"It won't come to that," Nyx told her. "Tartarus is willing to offer them things." 

Another pause. 

"When will this great fight be?" someone asked. 

"It will start with that stupid demigod camp of theirs," Nyx said. She spat the words 'stupid demigod camp' as if it were poison in her mouth. "On that boy's birthday, August 18th." 

Percy ran a hand through his hair worriedly. Their suspicions had been right. 

"It will start with a strike at dawn," Nyx continued. "And Tartarus will ask them to surrender — which they might, to avoid another massacre. The gods may arrive to help them, and then we will send the Titans and the giants to stall them." 

The whole site will be a battlefield, an arae realised. 

"Or a grave," Nyx said smugly. 

Percy wanted to leap out from behind the pillar and punch her in the face. That was his home she was talking about. Even after five years in captivity, Camp Half-Blood was still his home. 

"But how is this time any different from the last?" someone else demanded. Percy vaguely recalled them as the children of Nyx, from their last time in the palace. "They were unbeatable last time, and they still lost. The demigods still have their quest members. They're older now, and wiser." 

"Are they?" Nyx cackled. "Word has it that the Seven are nothing but a giant mess. None of them can even gather their wits together to defeat a few monsters. Turns out, Dolos and Apate worked their tricks well." 

Percy clenched a fist. Dolos and Apate were familiar names, the gods of trickery who had forced them to fight their deceased loved ones to exit Agatha. 

But what was the trick they were talking about? 

Percy was broken out of his thoughts by a tap on his shoulder. Annabeth pressed a finger to her lips, and circled her hand in a gesture for him to turn around. 

Percy furrowed his brow in confusion. 

She mouthed something at him that he didn't understand. Finally, Annabeth rolled her eyes. 

To Percy's surprise, Annabeth pulled up he hem of her orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and pulled it off in one smooth go. 

What are you doing? Percy wanted to scream. 

Her cheeks were bright red, but not more flushed than Percy's. 

Annabeth ignored him and grabbed the bottom of her left bra cup. 

Percy's mouth fell open. He raised a hand to stop her and demand what was going on. 

Then Annabeth ripped the fabric.

Percy blushed furiously. She was taking out the underwire of her bra to pick the lock on Hemera's shackles. 

He averted his gaze with embarrassment, trying not to go too red. 

It wasn't like Percy had never seen Annabeth in a bra before. When they were dating, they'd had their...moments.

It was just as bad when she'd patched up his gut wound outside the palace. Her soft hands, brushing against his skin, and her grey eyes, looking up at him through her lashes. 

It brought him back to simpler times, where he could lean over and kiss her, and even if there were a thousand monsters trying to kill  
him, Percy knew, at least, that she would always be by his side. 

Heated make-out sessions after a particularly terrifying battle, or fooling around in his cabin, trying not to get caught by Chiron or their friends. 

But that was it. They'd never gone further than that — because they'd been 17. 

Now, they weren't even dating, and it was different. 

Percy glanced down warily, and let out a sigh of relief when he saw that Annabeth had put her shirt back on. 

Hemera seemed to sense what was going on. She had shuffled her chained hands behind the pillar, where Annabeth jiggled the wire around the lock. 

This isn't going to work, Percy mouthed at her. 

She glared at him and continued working. 

To his astonishment and her triumph, the lock clicked, and the chains that bound Hemera's hands fell away. 

"Some chains of darkness," Percy murmured as Annabeth slid the wire into her pocket and shot him a smirk. 

"Learnt that from the Nancy Drew handbook," she whispered back smugly. 

Annabeth threw a glance over her shoulder and suddenly pulled Percy towards her in alarm. "Look away—"

There was an explosion of light, which Percy guessed meant that Hemera had gone supernova. And true godly forms burnt out the eyes of mortals, so it was good that he'd listened to Annabeth and turned away, or he'd be demigod toast right now. 

As the blinding light, hung in the air, procuring shrieks and terrified shouts from Nyx and her children, Percy felt a hand grab him with the wrist. 

"Let's go," came Hemera's voice. 

Percy was dragged across floor, stone, and then ground. 

He wasn't quite sure what happened until the black spots in front of his eyes disappeared and he opened them. 

He was lying down in a corridor, with Annabeth at his side, and Hemera standing over them. A shawl had materialised around her to mute her light and mask her presence. 

They were somewhere in Nyx's palace. 

A furious shriek echoed from the castle doors. Once the light faded, Nyx seemed to realise that her hostage had escaped. 

"I must go," Hemera said hurriedly. "I cannot stay, for she will find me, and I will never escape again." 

"Wait, my lady!" Annabeth cried desperately. She, too, didn't want to believe that they'd come all this way for nothing. "We have freed you, so would you help us with our quest?" 

Hemera glanced back wistfully, but nodded. "I suppose. If anything, I am fair." 

Percy and Annabeth exchanged looks of relief. 

"The spell to awaken Ouranos," Percy said firmly. "We need it to destroy Tartarus and Pontus, or they'll take over the world and destroy everything we know and love." 

Hemera smiled. "Oh, of course I can help my heroes. I traded that spell in for a favour from the embodiment of the sea." 

Percy's relief faded as dread overtook him. "What?" he demanded. 

"See you again, Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase," Hemera said calmly as she spun on the spot. "All the best of luck to you." 

"Wait!" Percy cried as he jumped, a hand outstretched to pull her back. 

Too late, his fingers brushed falling specks of gold. 

Hemera was gone.


	24. The Raptor’s Nest

"This is the place," Frank declared. 

Hazel gave a nod of confirmation. 

Leo gave them each a glance of uncertainty. The island they had arrived at was tiny, covered in greenery, and appeared uninhabited. "Are you sure?" 

"Yes," Hazel said with absolute conviction. "I can sense the ring already." 

"Okay, then." Leo, still unconvinced, sank the anchor and lowered the gangplank. He looked around. "There doesn't seem to be anyone here at all. I doubt we need to look after the ship. Festus can stay here as a guard just in case." 

He reached out a hand to Piper, who took it, and he helped her off the ship. 

"What island is this?" Jason asked in confusion. 

"Syrna," Frank said, pointing to the large 'Welcome to Syrna' sign by the harbour. 

Piper frowned. "Doesn't bring any myths to mind. It doesn't seem to have any importance in history." 

"Well," Hazel turned to them. "It does now. The ring is here. I'm sure of it." 

Leo grabbed Jason's arm frantically as he spotted a man lumbering up to them. "Oh gods, is it a warrior? A monster? An invictus in disguise?" 

"I think..." Jason trailed off. "It's a mortal." 

The man came up and started speaking in rapid-fire Greek. 

Piper smiled and replied something else in Greek. Jason glanced between them in confusion. 

When the man left, Piper turned to her friends. "He wanted to welcome us. They don't get visitors that often. He owns a farm near the harbour, and invited us for dinner at his house later." 

Frank shrugged. "Well, I don't see why not." 

Hazel gazed at the farmer's silhouette wistfully. "I haven't had a home cooked meal in forever." Her stomach grumbled, as if on cue. 

"Let's focus," Piper reminded them. Let's find this ring, and if we do, we can reward ourselves by getting some dinner with him. Deal?" 

After a chorus of "yes" and cheers, they started their walk towards the ring. 

It wasn't long before they found themselves facing a thick forest, with little civilisation in sight. 

Leo stared at the spanning trees. "Yeah, this doesn't look right." 

He glanced at Hazel, who wore the same puzzled look as the rest of his friends. 

"I-I don't understand," she stammered. "I can still feel it. But...why would Pontus hide a ring in the forest?" 

Frank winced, attracting Leo's attention. "I can still see it. There's some sort of...sticks. And eggs." 

Piper's gaze shot up. "Eggs? It's a nest. There's got to be some nest of sorts in here." 

"I don't see any animals," Jason said uncertainly. "How can there be a nest?" 

Hazel was the first to step into the greenery. "Only one way to find out." She pushed aside the trunks of trees and climbed inside, disappearing behind a bush. 

Frank was next to follow, holding the ring tightly. "Let's go," he beckoned them. "We've been through so much. How can we be afraid?" 

Leo stared at their retreating figures. "I am. I'm very afraid. This is a forest, with no Wi-Fi and no sign of living creatures. How can you not be afraid?" 

"Just come, Leo," came Frank's exasperated reply. 

"Oh, I'm convinced," Leo muttered unhappily as he trekked in after them, hearing Piper's laughs behind. 

He threw a glance behind; Jason was guarding the rear with his sword out and senses alert. Piper had Katoptris unsheathed, and she seemed to managing the bike perfectly fine for a pregnant lady. 

"It should be coming up ahead," Hazel's voice travelled down the forest. "The pull is getting stronger." 

Leo stopped in his tracks as he spotted swarm of ants on the ground. He cringed at the sight and shuddered inwardly. 

"Let's keep going," Piper reminded him. "We have a farmer to meet." 

"Maybe I should just wait for you guys..." Leo suggested. 

Piper rolled her eyes. "Come on, Leo. We need to find the ring." 

He sighed miserably, but begrudgingly obliged. Leo kept his eyes peeled for any other hazards on the forest floor. 

"Ow!" He let out a yelp as he walked straight into something hard. When Leo stumbled back and looked up, he realised that Frank and Hazel had come to a stop in front of a tree trunk. 

"It's here," Frank told him as Piper and Jason huddled around them. "The nest. Up the tree." 

"Okay, so Jason will fly up and get it," Leo reasoned. 

Jason frowned. "I don't think I can. The trees are too thick up. I'll keep crashing into branches." 

"We'll have to climb it, then," Hazel said decidedly. "The old fashioned way." 

Piper looked nervously up the tree. "The trunk isn't all that thick. The lightest one of us will have to climb up and get it." 

Simultaneously, the demigods turned to face Leo. 

Leo snorted. "You're kidding, right? Hazel's shorter than me!" 

Hazel grinned. "But you're scrawnier." 

Leo opened his mouth to argue, but he knew he couldn't. Even after all those years in the forges, Leo was practically still a stick. A toned stick, yes, but Hazel was much stronger. 

Leo grumbled curses under his breath as he stood by the trunk and looked up to survey it. 

"We'll give you a boost," Jason said helpfully. 

"Thank you, that helps so much." 

Leo fitted his right foot into Jason's linked hands. On the count of three, Leo was sent flying into the air, and he just managed to grab onto the branch above his head. 

From there, Leo could scale the tree with...some difficulty. Every once in a while, he would feel a cut in his hands, or an ant would crawl over his fingers. 

Leo forced himself not to look down. 

Ignorance is bliss, he repeated. 

"Leo?" came Frank's shout. "You doing alright?" 

"Yeah!" Leo meant for it to be a shout, but it came out closer to a squeak. He cleared his throat, "I'm fine." 

Leo reached out for another branch to hoist himself up, when he caught sight of something in the corner of his eye. 

"Gah!" 

Nearly having a heart attack, Leo jumped in place when he realised that there was a raptor bird staring straight at him. 

His mouth widened into a grin when he realised that the raptor was perched on top of a nest — filled with blue eggs. 

Leo was afraid to reach into the nest. The raptor was staring at him with its beast eyes, as if daring him to touch the eggs. 

"Nice raptor," Leo said nervously. He scanned the nest and spotted a pile of things in one corner. 

What he saw nearly made him throw up. There were bones littered across the bottom of the nest, with some trinkets lying here and there. 

There was also a sparkling ring that caught Leo's attention.

The Mind ring. That had to be it. 

Leo gave the raptor a wary look. Bones in the nest? He was pretty sure that worms didn't have bones. 

Then he noticed that one of the shells had a small hole in it. And quickly, Leo realised that all the shells had holes in them, small cracks that had gone unnoticed by the raptor. 

Out of the hole of one egg, a snake-like figure slivered out. 

Leo felt his jaw drop as two more of the same snakes came out of the hole. 

"What the hell?" Leo whispered. He could've sworn that he'd seen them before. 

The three heads turned to glare at Leo, and hissed simultaneously, releasing a puff of green gas. 

Leo realised why they'd looked so familiar. 

They were hydras. Baby hydras. 

Leo let out a yell as he let go off the branch is shock, and toppled backwards off the tree. 

The air rushed past his skin as he plummeted into the forest below. Leo felt something yank on his arm, and he clung onto it for dear life, until he felt his feet touch solid ground. 

Leo collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. "Oh my gods!" 

Jason's head came into view, a worried expression on his face. "Leo, Leo! Can you hear me?" 

Leo groaned and rubbed his temple. "Did I just..." 

"Fall off a tree," Jason finished. "Yep." 

Leo closed his eyes as his cheeks flared red. "Embarrassing." He struggled to sit up. 

"What happened?" Hazel asked with concern. 

Leo jolted up as he realised what he'd just seen. "Holy Hephaestus, there are hydras up there! Baby hydras! They're in the raptor's eggs—"

"Raptors?" Frank cut in with wide eyes. "Like, from Jurassic Park?" 

Leo sniggered. "No, like raptor birds." 

Colour rushed back into Frank's face. 

"I've heard of this before," Piper said suddenly. "There are some birds that lay their eggs in another bird's nest, kill the original eggs, and the new eggs pretend to be the old eggs for free food and stuff." 

"I saw bones up there," Leo groaned. "Like, human bones. Animals, too. That's why we haven't seen any living creatures on the island." 

"Okay," Frank said with a sickened expression. "So, hydras, oblivious birds—"

"Oh!" Leo interjected. "And the ring is there." 

Hazel sighed and kneaded her forehead. "This is bad. We'll have to wait for the raptor to fly away, kill the hydras, then get the ring." 

"I call not going back up!" Leo shouted, raising his hands. 

The others let out disappointed groans. 

"I suppose I could try flying up," Jason said warily as he looked up the tree. "I hit a load of branches just catching Leo." 

"Okay, so you fly me up," Piper said. "I'll charmspeak the raptor away. We wipe out the nest, then we grab the ring and run." 

Frank shrugged. "If you guys are fine doing it alone, then we'll wait down here for you." 

Leo shot them a thumbs-up. "Good luck. The baby hydras breathe poisonous gas, by the way. Have fun!" 

Piper shot him a dirty look as Jason wrapped an arm around her and leapt off into the leaves above. 

Leo waited with Hazel and Frank for Piper and Jason to return. 

It wasn't long before they landed on the ground, the ring shining on Jason's right forefinger. 

"Yes!" Leo high-fived Jason and hugged Piper. "Four down, five to go!" He pumped a fist in the air triumphantly. 

Piper grinned. "Actually, we still have a dinner to go to. Who's ready for more barley?" 

Leo couldn't help laughing. Frank had never looked more betrayed in his entire life. 

^^^^^

The Argo II crew made their way to the man's farm, using the directions that were given to Piper. They'd returned to the ship to get into nicer clothes than their mud-stained jeans and t-shirts. 

Jason glanced over at Piper. She was wearing a loose-fitting blue dress with some feathers in her hair, but Jason had never seen her look more beautiful before. 

"You look great," he whispered. 

Piper just laughed. "You don't look too bad yourself." 

Jason had decided to pull on the first shirt he saw and the cleanest pair of trousers he had. He was glad that it didn't look too bad. 

Hazel bounded up to the door, her golden dress fluttering in the wind behind her, and she knocked on the door. 

It swung open to reveal the same man whom Piper had spoken to earlier. 

Behind him, there were two small girls who peered to see the demigods, excitement dancing in their eyes. 

"Visitors!" a feminine voice exclaimed in a pleased tone. 

Out of the room to the left, a woman with grey hair and wrinkles etched into her face beamed, a tray of food balanced in her hands. 

"This is my wife," the man said with halting English and a strong Greek accent. "We welcome you." 

"My husband said that you are from America," the woman said kindly. "Please, come in!" 

Piper slipped her hand in Jason's and walked in, greeting the two young girls on her way in. 

Dinner was pleasant, and it gave Jason a warm, fuzzy feeling. This was what his life could've been like. Mortals, not worrying about death every single day, and living out his life with a family of his own. 

He sent a sidelong glance at Piper, who was eagerly listening the the younger daughter chat about her new rabbits. 

Jason couldn't help the wide smile that spread across his face whenever he looked at Piper. When he'd first met her, Jason had been overwhelmed with the responsibilities of leader, and many others. 

Somehow, Piper made everything seem so clear and easy, just with a few words. It was amazing how she did it. 

"Let me show you our dollhouse!" the girl squealed, grabbing Piper and Hazel's hands, as the two daughters dragged them upstairs. 

The farmer's wife — Lisa — laughed. "They do not often have friends," she said apologetically. "The island is very small." 

She showed them out of the dining room as she made to clean up the dishes. 

Jason stuffed his hands in his pockets and strolled our to join Frank and Leo on the patio. 

He sat down on the bottom step with a sigh. "Guys, can I talk to you for a second?" 

Frank and Leo glanced at him. 

"What about?" Leo said curiously. 

Jason scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I had this idea that I kind of need help with." He took a deep breath. "I want to propose to Piper." 

Leo's sharp intake of breath was covered up but Frank laugh. 

Jason frowned. "What's so funny?" 

Frank's eyes widened as he frantically shook his head. "Oh no—I didn't—Oh, I just realised how bad that must've sounded—" He reaches into his back pocket and drew out something. "It's just that, well..." 

Now it was Jason's turn to be shocked. 

Frank held a ring, a simple silver band with a small diamond encrusted on the tip. 

Leo stared at him. "Yes, Frank! A million times, yes!" 

Frank rolled his eyes. "I meant that I was going to propose to Hazel..." He trailed of. "Two months ago." 

Jason's mouth dropped open. "Two months ago?" 

Frank ran a hand through his hair frustratedly. "I keep getting nervous and chickening our at the last second. I just keep imagining if she says no." 

Leo gave him a look of incredulity. "This is Hazel we're talking about. How could she say no?" 

"It might be too soon," Frank pointed out. "I mean, she's 19. But the war and the quest and everything just proved to me that we've got to treasure every moment together, because we don't know when it'll be our last." 

Leo pointed at Frank. "That was amazing. Use that when you propose." He pulled out a pen and paper from his tool belt and started scribbling down bullet points. "Frank's proposal speech," he read aloud as he underlined the title a few times. "Some romantic nonsense about moments—"

Frank snatched the paper away from Leo with a glare. He stuffed it in his back pocket. "Not helping." 

"We'll get back to you," Leo promised him before turning to Jason. "So you want to propose to Piper?" 

Jason blinked. "Uh, yeah. But I don't have a ring, so I was hoping if you could—"

Leo waved a hand dismissively. "Not a problem for Mr McShizzle. Uncle Leo's always got your back." 

Jason turned back to Frank with great interest. "So when are you gonna do it?" 

Leo couldn't stop fidgeting with excitement. "How are you gonna do it?" 

Frank blushed. "I-I'm not sure yet. I hadn't really thought it through." 

Leo snorted. "Were you just going to go up to her spontaneously?" 

Frank spluttered out something intelligible. 

"Let me tell you what I've learnt from romantic movies," Leo said wisely. "All romantic moments are constructed and practised beforehand." 

Jason shrugged. "Unfortunately, Leo's right. You gotta have a place and a plan. So you won't back down." 

Frank slid the ring back into his pocket uncertainly. "I'm not very good at this," he groaned. 

Leo patted him on the shoulder. "We'll help you." 

Frank snorted. "Like you're any better." 

An offended expression swept over Leo's face in seconds, only to be replaced by acceptance. "That's true. Look at us. Jason got Piper knocked up; I'm miles away from Calypso; Frank doesn't know how to propose; and don't even get me started on Percy and Annabeth." 

Jason stifled a laugh with a cough. The things Leo said were so comical they made him laugh...but they were also true.

And he loved it. It was all part of the dysfunctional family they'd formed over the years.


	25. The Three Furies

"You've got to be kidding me." 

Percy stared at the spot where Hemera had disappeared. Moments of silence had passed, allowing him to digest that their entire journey had been for absolutely nothing. 

Jumping into Tartarus; fighting the arai; making it past Nyx...

Annabeth let out a frustrated yell, and Percy couldn't help but think that she had mirrored his feelings exactly. 

"No," she whispered in defeat as she slumped onto the ground in a cross-legged position, holding her face in her hands. 

"So, Pontus, our enemy, has the spell — our only hope at beating Tartarus," Percy swallowed. "And we're stuck in Nyx's palace." 

"I think you got it all." 

"Cool, just checking." 

Percy glanced down warily at where Annabeth was curled up in a foetal position at his feet. He knelt down, against his better judgement. "Hey, it'll be okay." 

Annabeth let out a humourless laugh that made him wince. "Yeah, no, this is just amazing. We don't have the spell, and we're in the same building as a vengeance-crazed primordial." 

Percy shifted into a sitting position beside her. "We've faced worse odds." 

They shared a smile that made Percy's heart skip a beat. It reminded him of old times. 

"It just doesn't make any sense," Annabeth sighed exasperatedly, running a hand through her tangled hair. "Hemera's one of the good guys. She's the goddess of light — of all things good. She represents everything good — why would she leave us here?" 

"She mentioned the primordial of the sea," Percy said slowly. "She was trying to help us. Give us a clue—"

"But Pontus is the primordial of the sea," Annabeth finished. "It's a dead end." 

Images flashed through Percy's mind. 

A woman with teal hair and a mermaid tail, Annabeth had said. The woman who'd appeared in her dream. 

"Except he isn't," Percy said suddenly. "Pontus isn't the primordial of the sea." 

Percy heard Annabeth's sharp intake of breath at the same time the realisation hit him. 

"The woman from the dream," Annabeth said softly, echoing his thought. "It was Thalassa." 

Percy stared blankly at her. He'd made the first connection, but not the second. "This is the part where you explain it to me." 

She rolled her eyes. "Thalassa was the original primordial of the sea. Pontus married her — he became primordial consort by default." Annabeth smacked her forehead. "I should've realised sooner! Of course, Hemera was trying to help us. Thalassa is her daughter!" 

Percy scrambled to his feet. "So, we find Thalassa, and we find the spell." 

Annabeth nodded. "We'll figure out how to get out after that." 

Percy reached out a hand — a silent olive branch. 

Annabeth took it, and he pulled her to her feet. 

"Thalassa's old prison," Percy said. "Where would it be?" 

"No idea," Annabeth shrugged. "But think about it. Pontus might have her chained up in his stronghold now, but when he first took power, he would've sent her away. And where do the gods send threats?" 

"Here," Percy reasoned. "If she's the embodiment of the sea, she would've left behind enough of a saltwater trace." 

"I was thinking the same," Annabeth said begrudgingly. "You could maybe find it?" 

Percy gave himself a moment to reflect that he'd had the same idea as Annabeth Chase before he nodded. "I need to be out of the palace. Nyx's magic is blocking me." 

Annabeth readjusted her rucksack and beckoned to him. "Come on, there's bound to be a stairwell ahead." 

Percy traipsed after Annabeth, occasionally throwing a glance back to check for ambushers.

"Ow!" Percy let out a soft groan as he slammed into Annabeth. "Walk a little—"

His voice wavered as he followed Annabeth's shell-shocked gaze to see a glimmering doorway. 

Percy didn't need to ask to know that it was the doorway back to Earth. He just knew. 

Annabeth reached out a hand, the expression of pure longing on her face resembling one from years ago, when she'd heard the Sirens' song. 

Percy resisted the urge to leap through the doorway home. 

Home. 

It was so close, yet so far. 

Annabeth's outstretched hand fell back, and her gaze hardened as she turned away from the doorway. "Let's go." Her voice trembled. 

"We'll be back," Percy said quietly. 

Annabeth clenched a fist. "Don't make promises you can't keep." 

Percy grabbed her hand and pulled her back to face him. Her foot tripped in the turn and she stumbled into him. Percy caught her by the waist, and he heard her breath catch in her throat. 

"We will," he murmured. 

She was so close that he could see the flicks of lighter greys amongst the stormy in her eyes. 

Her fingers slid into his, a force of habit that felt so right, so perfect in the horrors they were surrounded by. 

Then Percy remembered the look of agony that had crossed her face the moment she'd rescued him from Agatha. How much pain he'd caused her by leaving. 

And he knew he couldn't ever do that to her again. 

Percy stepped away from her, his throat clamping down on his words such that a tense silence was left between them. His fingers withdrew from hers and Percy forced himself to look away. 

He heard her footsteps as Annabeth continued to lead the way, unsteadily this time, and he could hear her shaky breathing in the stale air. 

As Percy followed her, he deliriously wondered what it would've been like if he'd kissed her. He pushed them out of his mind; no point lingering on things that could never be. 

Their walk continued in silence until they stepped out of the palace by the back door. 

Percy felt like a massive weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and he let out a sigh of relief. When he glanced back, Nyx's palace was nowhere to be seen — just dead fields stretching on endlessly. 

"Can you sense anything?" Annabeth asked, her voice hoarse.

Percy closed his eyes and reached out with his senses. Searching for water was easier on land, when he could simply feel something calling to him or a tugging in his gut. 

Here, in the deepest part of the universe, Percy had to find it. 

He pushed away all other things pressing on his mind; Annabeth, the quest, everything. 

It gave him a sense of déjà vu — in the early of his kidnapping, he'd searched and searched desperately for anything to help him escape. 

Of course, he hadn't known that he was deep underground with no water nearby. 

All that aimless searching he'd done while in captivity had made it easier for him to find and control water. It was strange, but Percy was glad he wasn't out of practice. 

And then there it was. Something so faraway and so faint he might've missed it. There was something that made his fingers tingle and sent shudders down his spine and the familiarity of it. 

Water. Saltwater, to be exact.

There was a rushing in his ears; the sea flowing by, unable to be restrained; the crunch of sand beneath his feet—

"Percy!" Annabeth's frantic cry pulled him out of his reverie, and he felt someone grabbing his shoulders. 

Everything around him vanished, and Percy staggered backwards at the snap back. The location was imprinted in his mind, and it was like a mental map drawn out for him. 

Annabeth blurred into view, her features creased with worry. "Percy!" 

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he mumbled. "I know where it is." 

"You started smoking!" Annabeth shrieked. "What were you doing? You weren't answering and I thought you were going to die!" 

"It's okay, I just got a little carried away," Percy said, alarmed. 

"No, you almost died!" Annabeth cried. "You can't leave me here alone! You can't leave me here! Not in Tartarus! Not by myself, please—" 

Percy pulled her into a tight embrace, and she buried her face in his shoulder, her arms sliding around his neck. 

Her sobs were muffled, and Percy held her as she shuddered, trembling with fear pounding in his blood. 

"Annabeth," he whispered. "It's okay. I'm not leaving you — I swear. I won't. Never again." 

Percy lost track of how long they stood there, both of them shaking. But he knew that they were together, and that was all that mattered. 

When her breathing slowed to small, shaking intakes, Annabeth drew away, her hands falling away from him, but she didn't push him away. 

Percy reaches up cautiously and brushed a tear away from her cheek. 

"Thanks," Annabeth said shakily. Her eyes were rimmed red, and her chest heaved slowly. 

Her gaze was angled upwards at him, and Percy swallowed as she rose on her tiptoes. 

A batting of wings cut through the air, and the both of them froze like ice. 

Within split seconds, Percy had Riptide unsheathed and Annabeth stood with her back to his, wielding her dagger. 

Arai, Percy's mind screamed in warning. 

But the silhouettes that descended weren't arai. They were more graceful, and larger. Percy wasn't particularly fond of large flying grandmothers. 

As the monsters came into the light, Percy hand went slack with incredulity. 

"Perseus Jackson," Alecto sneered, her curled talons and bared fangs sending Percy spiralling back into memories from when he was an untrained twelve years old. "We meet again." 

And the three furies landed in the field. 

"Mrs Dodds," Percy murmured. "You son of a bitch." 

Alecto's two sisters snarled at him, but she kept them back. 

"We have no argument with Hades or the Kindly Ones," Annabeth demanded. "Why did he send you?" 

"He didn't," one of the other furies — Tisiphone, Percy recalled. "Our master has not been in contact for the last five years. But we follow his last wishes. Protect Perseus Jackson." 

Percy froze. "What?"

The third fury, Megaera, frowned. "That was before you went and got yourself kidnapped, of course." 

"Yes, because I really loved that." 

"You're here to help us," Annabeth said suspiciously, eyeing the furies. "Why should we believe you?" 

"We have been keeping the Underworld intact," Alecto hissed. "We are not your enemy." 

"What about Hades?" Percy said. "You said he hadn't been in contact for five years. The gods disappeared completely just weeks before my kidnapping. Why? Why did they shut themselves off again?" 

"You think our master would be so blind as to do that?" Megaera said angrily. "He has been trapped in his palace with the lady Demeter — blocked from all physical and telepathic contact." 

"Oh my Gods," Annabeth breathed. She sent Percy a look of shock. "Pontus and Tartarus shut them away. That's why we haven't heard from the gods — any of them." She turned to the furies. "You said Hades' last wish was to protect Percy. Did he say why?" 

Tisiphone exchanged a glance with her sister. "He said that if the demigods didn't save Olympus, this would be their final fall." 

Percy resisted the urge to ask for that in writing. "He said that?" 

Tisiphone nodded grimly. 

"We will bring you to wherever you wish to go," Alecto grumbled reluctantly, reaching out a hand. 

Percy hesitantly took it, and felt himself yanked into the air. He turned back frantically, but Annabeth was being carried by Megaera as they took to the sky. 

He directed them, following his gut and the directions he'd remembered from earlier. 

It was a few minutes of the furies zipping through the biting air before Thalassa's old prison came into view. 

The metal bars were blasted open, most of it scattered on the ground. The chains inside that used to hold her lay uselessly on the ground — except for the scroll that lay next to them. 

They swooped down, and Percy and Annabeth landed with a running start. 

Percy stumbled over and grabbed the scroll, unrolling it. 

It was a map, carefully drawn out with a path leading to Pontus' castle. A set of golden keys lay on the paper, which Annabeth snatched up and stuffed into her pocket. 

"At least we're getting somewhere," she breathed, exchanging glances with him. 

Percy sent her a weak smile, hyperaware of the fact that his heart had just sped up. He stuffed the map in the pocket of his jeans and turned back to the furies. 

"We should get back to Nyx's—"

"Percy," Annabeth said suddenly, her voice charged with surprise. 

Percy glanced back at her. 

There was a small geyser of saltwater spraying from a crack in the ground. Saltwater, in the depths of Tartarus. 

Percy started forward slowly, his fingers brushing against the water. Almost instantly, he was revitalised, with power flowing through him again, his cuts healing and fading rapidly, his eyes bright with a buzzing energy. 

Thalassa didn't just control water. She was the water. 

Percy took a reluctant step back, immediately feeling like there was a gaping hole left where the water had filled it before. 

The furies flew them back to Nyx's palace and landed stealthily at the gates. 

"This is as far as we can take you," Tisiphone said regrettably. "Nyx is too powerful — even for us." 

That did little to comfort Percy. 

"Tell Hades 'thank you' if you see him," he told them. "And our parents that we're coming for them." 

"And Hera that she owes me for life," Annabeth grumbled. 

Megaera and Tisiphone took turns bowing slightly before taking off. 

Alecto remained behind for a few moments, regarding Percy carefully. 

"What is it?" he blurted out, unable to hold his curiosity in. 

Alecto sent him a grim smile. "You have grown up, Perseus." She turned on her heel and shot into the air in a hurtling whirl of feathers and brown. Then the furies disappeared. 

Percy stared after them. 

The gods were on their side. At least, Hades was. 

Father, Percy hesitated. Stay safe. We're coming. 

It was the first time in five years that he'd prayed to his father.


	26. The Last Ring

Jason stared out into the setting sun. He knew he should be admiring how the orange streaks intertwined with the shades of pink and blue in the sky, but the sun simply reminded him that they were running out of time. 

The Argo II had been sailing aimlessly for weeks in hopes that Hazel and Frank might be able to track down the last ring. 

But it appeared that their luck had run out — though Jason wanted to protest that they'd barely had any in the first place. 

July was coming to a close, and Piper was dangerously close to her 40 weeks of pregnancy. 

As much as Jason didn't want to admit it, she was most likely going to have their baby on board. 

His son, on a life-threatening quest. 

Jason has never had any problem with sacrificing himself for others, but now he had a family, and it made him all the more stubborn about staying alive. He had something else to live for now. 

And Jasper. Jason might be willing to lay down his life, but there was no way he was letting his son get in harm's way. 

Jason sighed as he gripped the poles that ran along the side of the Argo II. He already loved his son so much, and he wasn't even born yet. 

Was this how all fathers felt? Nervous, clammy, and perpetually worried?

Because Jason was terrified that he was going to mess this up. His nightmares had significantly decreased since telling Piper about it, but how could he be a father when he couldn't even control his own mind? 

"Hey, you good?" 

Jason didn't have to turn around to recognise Leo's voice. 

He ran a hand through his hair. "Not really. We've got no leads, my son could be born in a few weeks' time, and the world is ending." 

Leo shrugged. "Frankly, I should be feeling worse. But I've got you guys. That helps." 

Jason slid him a small smile. 

Back at camp, they'd talked, yes, but they had all been so distant, only in contact because the Massacre and the crisis forced them to. 

Annabeth had never really been the same, and it had gotten worse over time. She would be stuck in the workshop with Leo, furiously working herself to death until Piper went down and dragged them out of there. 

Frank was constantly pre-occupied with praetorial duties alongside Reyna, and Jason hardly ever saw them as he organised construction of temples. 

Then there was Piper, whom Jason has always felt nervous around — afraid she would find out about his nightmares. And in the weeks leading up to the beginning of their quest, she hadn't been able to meet his eye. Which he now knew was because she was pregnant. 

"Seems that life-threatening quests really bring us together," Jason mused. 

Leo stared down at the railing. "Do you-do you think that it'll be better this time?" 

Jason heard the unspoken question. Could they all still be friends if their lives went back to normal — if the quest ended and they weren't forging friendships while saving the world? 

"Yeah," Jason said, surprising himself with the conviction in his voice. "I think it will." 

And he really did. There had been a part of him that had been missing something the last few years — it was them; his friends. He missed the comfortable dynamic they had, and the stupid jokes they cracked when around one another. 

Jason made a mental note to make sure that they stayed friends this time. That is, if they could win this war. 

One more thing to live for. 

"I've set course for the Diktaean Cave," Leo informed Jason, changing the subject. "We should be arriving in a few minutes. The Titan sisters are probably our best hope at finding the last ring." 

When the arrived on the island, Piper stayed on the ship — for protection, and because she was reaching the pregnancy phase where everything irritated her, and Jason didn't really want her getting into a fight with almighty Titans — while everyone headed to the cave. 

Hazel was the first to burst into the cave. She stalked down to the bottom furiously. "Where is the Remembrance ring?" 

Jason gulped. He'd underestimated just how frustrated his friends had become. 

"Giving you another clue would not fair," Themis insisted, not missing a beat. 

They seemed to be in the same formation as before, which made Jason wonder exactly how much they had to talk about. 

"I don't give a rat's ass about fair. You don't get it..." Leo trailed off into an argument, and Frank backed him up. 

Hazel stepped back to join Jason with an exasperated sigh. 

"I can't believe we've gotten this far just to fail," Hazel muttered, gripping her long sword that was strapped to her back. She looked like she was ready to decapitate someone, and in the back of his mind, Jason wondered where anyone had gotten the idea that Hazel was a shy girl with a quiet demeanour. 

She scared him almost as much as Annabeth did. 

Jason glanced back at the rest of his friends. Themis had stood up to impatiently explain her reasoning, and Mnemosyne was eyeing the rings they already had almost hungrily. 

"Hazel Levesque," a soft voice said. 

Jason turned around, to see that Phoebe had approached Hazel. 

"My lady," Hazel greeted, surprised. 

"My sister would frown upon me for doing this," Phoebe said in a low tone. "But the last time we met, my grandson mentioned that we are now united with the line of Hades." 

"Your grandson?" Hazel echoed. 

"Apollo," Jason started with a grin. Thank the gods for Nico and Will. 

Phoebe nodded. "My grandson has always been the one person I cou trust. I do not wish to let him down this time." 

"So you can help us?" Jason urged. 

"I cannot give you the outright location," Phoebe said slowly. Jason saw Hazel's hand twitch towards her sword and an ugly look of annoyance sweep over her face. He hastily sent her a pointed look. 

"But I can offer some help," Phoebe continued. "The Remembrance ring has chosen a place of legend to settle — irony, I suppose. It remembers the old myths, and the formation of its hiding place is vital to its discovery."

"Formation?" Hazel repeated in confusion, but countless ideas were already flowing through Jason's mind. 

"It has something to do with Poseidon," Phoebe confirmed. 

Jason paused. "Poseidon?" He'd read many myths and legends while at Camp Jupiter, but he drew a blank at Poseidon. 

"I hope that helped," Phoebe said hurriedly, glancing back at the heated argument between her sisters and the demigods. "I think you should get your friends out of here before one of my sisters decided to smite them — or worse." 

Jason grabbed Leo by the wrist and dragged him to the exit, beckoning for Frank to follow. Hazel was scribbling Phoebe's clues onto her wrist with a ballpoint pen that reminded Jason of Riptide, and of Percy. 

He wished Percy was here. Being the son of Poseidon, he would have some idea about islands relating to good ol' dad. 

Actually, in hindsight, Annabeth would probably be a better option. 

As they reached the Argo II, Piper hurried up to meet them. 

"Where are we headed?" she demanded. 

Jason exchanged glances with Hazel. 

"A library." 

^^^^^

Skimming through the library's books were weird. As in, they gave Leo a strange feeling of normalcy. 

Piper chatted with the Greek librarian in hopes of string some good recommendations, and the librarian was delighted for the company. No one knew they were trying to save the world, they just assumed they were students cramming for a test. 

Which was weird, because if Leo was a student, he would have no doubt used the Internet for research instead. 

Screw the monsters, he would've rather had three hellhounds knocking on his door than open another book. 

His dyslexia made his eyes swim, so Leo stuck to the books in Greek, which was almost identical to Ancient Greek and required little deciphering. 

"I miss Annabeth," Leo said miserably as he slammed another book shut. "She was our walking, talking library." 

"Tell me about it," Jason mumbled, lazily turning the pages of his book, one of the few in English. 

"I've got more," Hazel sing-songed in a time of absolute boredom. She dropped the pile of books on to Leo's table, and he groaned, covering his face with his hands. 

"I hate this. I hate this. I hate this so much you can't even understand." 

"I think I do," Jason muttered. 

"The only good thing about being a demigod," Leo said accusatorially. "Was that I didn't have to go to school or study or read anything." He glared at the ceiling. "Why do you do this to me?" 

Piper smacked him round the head and she returned to them. "C'mon, we need to keep going if we're going to find this mysterious hiding place." 

The bells attached the the front doors jingled, and the demigods' heads snapped up in unison. 

Leo let out a sigh of relief. It was just Frank. 

"Hey," Frank said glumly as he set down take-out from a nearby Italian restaurant. "I've got take-out, coffee, and a leaflets for tourists about the Greek Islands." He shrugged. "Figured we should start ticking off the ones we've been to." 

Leo downed the espresso in one gulp. ADHD and caffeine never went well together, but he'd need the energy if they were going to continue researching at the rate they were. 

"Are you going to explode?" Hazel asked him, genuine worry in her tone as she eyed the empty cup in his hand. "You're already the most restless person I know." 

Leo grinned. "I might start vibrating. Just ignore me." 

The sun went down, and night took over. It was a full moon that night, but Leo didn't have time to admire it or the constellations. 

It was currently 1.26am, and they were no closer to finding the last ring than they'd been before. 

"Maybe Phoebe lied to us," Piper wondered aloud. "I bet they're all laughing their asses off in that cave." Her hand was absently entwined with Jason's on the table in a way that made Leo envious that Calypso wasn't there. 

Jason had his head buried in a book — quite literally — and had fallen asleep an hour ago. 

"Come on, we have to keep going," Hazel said tiredly. Her fingers sifted through pages of a book. "It's our only chance." 

She was sitting on the couch, her eyelids dropping. Frank had his feet sprawled across her lap, his head dangling upside-down off the couch, the tourist guide book in his hands as he fiddled with a pen. 

Leo pulled a face. "What are you doing?" Frank's face was turning awfully red. 

"I'm thinking..." Frank paused thoughtfully. "Maybe if enough blood rushes to my brain, it'll work better and I can figure this out." 

Leo stared at him. 

He turned to Piper. "Am I sleep-deprived or did that all just make sense?" 

"I can't understand words anymore," Hazel said in a monotone as she stared blankly at the book in front of her. "If I stand up I think I might pass out." 

Leo returned to his book. 

It was about Poseidon's relationships, and he hoped that skimming over it might give them clues as to any islands Poseidon might have helped create. 

"Maybe we could just google it?" Leo suggested. He'd brought it up earlier in the evening, but he hoped that his friends were now desperate enough to do it. 

Piper sighed. "We've discussed this. We don't need to be signalling every single one of Pontus' forces about our location. They've attacked us enough as it is — can you imagine what would happen if they knew exactly where we were?" 

"What if it was just for two seconds?" Leo pleaded. "I'll invent some kind of signal-blocking device—"

He was interrupted by Frank letting out a shout. 

"OH MY GODS!" 

Leo felt his body jump as he let out a yelp, leaping onto Piper in terror. There was a resounding crash as Jason toppled backwards off his chair in sudden alarm, waking up with a groggy voice and confusion-glazed eyes. 

"The-the island," Frank stammered unintelligibly, jabbing his finger at the tourist guide. He'd righted himself on the couch, giving Hazel a fright. "Poseidon! Poseidon helped create it! Oh my gods, I've found it!" 

Leo was half-dragged by Piper and half-stumbled to Frank's side. Jason joined them soon, staggering and tripping over his own feet. 

"What's going on?" Jason said blearily. 

"Nisyros!" Frank declared hysterically. "'It was supposedly formed when Poseidon broke off a piece of the island Kos to bury Polybotes and keep him from running,'" he read aloud triumphantly. "This is it! It has to be it!" 

"Why can't Percy pick up islands?" Hazel voiced, but a smile had spread across her face from ear to ear. 

Leo felt a surge of peace overwhelm him as he sagged onto the arm of the couch. "Oh my gods, Frank, I can't believe your stupid guide did it." 

"Nisyros," Jason repeated. "We need to go — now. We can find the last ring, bring them back to Mnemosyne, and start looking for Percy and Annabeth." He glanced around at them, re-enthused. "Guys, we might actually be able to do this." 

Piper grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Let's go kick some all-powerful ass."


	27. The Ambush

Jason couldn't help but smile as he saw Piper reading over a book on the main deck. He swooped down from his vantage point in the sky and high-fived Frank, who promptly morphed into a bird and took his place keeping guard. 

"Hey," Jason murmured as he jogged over to his girlfriend and pecked her on the cheek, flopping onto the couch at her side. 

Piper snuggled her head in his chest and sighed. "Are you tired?" Her eyelids were dropping and close to falling shut. 

Jason chuckled and pulled her up. "C'mon, let's go. You need your beauty sleep." 

He wrapped an arm around her waist to support her as they made their way down the stairs to Jason's room. 

Outside the door, he leaned down to kiss her goodnight. 

As their lips met, Piper deepened the kiss, her hands tangling themselves in his hair as he lifted her up on her tiptoes. 

Jason pushes open the door with one hand, and they stumbled inside. 

Piper withdrew, slightly out of breath. "We should really rest," she panted, but her eyes burned with longing. 

Jason grinned sheepishly. "You're right. The last time this happened—" He pointed at Piper's belly. "—that happened." 

They climbed into bed, basking in each other's warmth and just enjoying the company. 

Jason's mind wandered as Piper fell sound asleep with her head against his shoulder. 

Not so long ago, falling asleep had been a great nightmare for him. Followed by actual nightmares. He mentally thanked the gods for Piper, and Jasper, because even though he wasn't here yet, Jason already loved him beyond words. 

As Jason's eyelids fluttered close, a blaring alarm sent rolling waves of shock through him as he jolted up in bed, the blanket curled around at his waist. 

Piper was up too, and their gazes of fear met. 

"Armoury," Jason instructed as he threw the duvet off and grabbed the coin off his bedside table, flipping it twice to form a spatha. 

Piper nodded. "Meet you upstairs." She shot out of the room, racing downstairs to get some armour, while Jason ran to the steps. 

As he sprinted up, Jason was met with a full-scale conflict on the main deck. He leaped up and sliced an invictus in half from behind, and the monster crumbled away to reveal Frank, who was desperately fighting off a dracanae. 

"What the hell is going on?" Jason yelled, fighting beside his friend. He scanned the deck; Leo and Hazel were also fighting without any armour, with Festus as a helping hand. 

Frank panted, "Pontus' army. He's sent them." 

Despite the current situation, hope gave Jason a burst of energy as he called down lightning to strike two warriors before he disarmed them and kicked them off the ship. They weren't so scary anymore once you realised that they repeated the same tactics over and over. 

Jason shook the yellow spots out of his vision. He reminded himself to hold back on the lightning; he couldn't afford to pass out in the middle of a losing battle. 

Frank glanced at him strangely. "Why are you smiling?" 

Jason tried not to grin. "It means Pontus is afraid of us actually succeeding. If he thinks we're a threat, then maybe we really are." 

"Sparky!" came Piper's shout. 

Jason used to winds to propel him over to her side, where he grabbed a chest plate and furiously strapped it on. 

He grabbed her hand. "Piper, get below!" 

She shook her head, Katoptris already in her hands. "No, I'm staying here! I'm fighting!" 

Jason sent her a pleading look. "Pipes, no, you're, like, eight months pregnant! Please, don't endanger yourself!" 

"I can help!" Piper argued. "There are too many of them. If you don't have a distraction, they'll overwhelm you." 

As Jason mulled over her words, he realised that from a tactical standpoint, she was right. Piper's charmspeak was an asset. 

"But..." Jason trailed off. 

"I won't fight," Piper reassured him. "I know better than to do that. I know I might die if I did. I'll stand at the side, do my thing, okay?" 

Jason wanted desperately to ask her to leave for safety, but he knew they needed everything to fight this off. They were so close. 

"Okay," he murmured. "Please be careful." 

Piper gave his hand a last squeeze before shoving him into the conflict. 

Jason found himself facing a ferocious hellhound, one that growled and bared its teeth at him, swiping his paws. 

"Dracanae, stop!" Piper's shriek caught Jason's attention. The monsters fighting Hazel paused in place and stared at each tiger in confusion, seconds before Hazel dispelled them. 

Jason ducked under the hellhound's leap and swiped up, decapitating it before it disintegrated. 

"Leo, are we set for Nisyros?" Jason shouted, looking for his best friend. 

A familiar head of brown curls popped up. "Yes! We'll be there soon, but we can't land until this ends, or we'll endanger the mortals!" 

Jason rushed to the bannister and leaned over. There was the vague silhouette of an island in the distance, and blue waves surrounded them, catapulting Pontus' army out of it. 

"Take to the skies!" Jason yelled suddenly. "Leo, we have to fly! We can't keep fighting them off!" 

Leo shook his head furiously. "We don't have enough fuel to sustain flight for too long! We'll drop out of the sky within half an hour!" 

"It's ten minutes to the island!" Jason promised. "I'll give it a boost to the sky." 

Leo seemed to be working out some calculations in his head, as his eyes flickered, reading imaginary numbers. He nodded. "I hope you're right about this. Of course, I did the calculations, so it is right." 

Jason clenched a fist and Leo shot into the air, screaming as he landed by the wheel sprawled on the ground. 

Pushing his way through the monsters to the bow of the ship, Jason grabbed the bannister and closed his eyes, trying to drown out the sounds of clashing metal behind him. His knuckles gripped the bannister so hard they turned white. 

Jason called on the wind spirits that were nearby, urging them to buffet the ship from the bottom. He'd never air-lifted something this large before. 

There was a creaking sound, and the noises of fighting ceased for a moment. The Argo II erupted straight out of the waves, streaking forward as its hull lifted out of the water. 

Leo's triumphant whooping could be heard, and Jason couldn't help the smile forming across his face. The sea was Percy's ground, the air was his. 

The ship continued to creak as it gained altitude, its slanted position sending its passengers sliding down the deck. 

Jason staggered away from the bow of the ship and was met with a blow the the gut. Air whooshed around Jason for a second, until he reached out an arm and stopped himself in mid-air. He swallowed slowly, urging himself not to through up. 

The giant that had smacked him into the sky grinned wickedly at him before pounding its chest and roaring. 

Jason had a billion thoughts running through his mind. 

First, this giant was humongous. It had to be almost three times his height. 

Second, it could probably be killed by a demigod, because if this was one of Gaia's children, they would've done the whole "evil/I'm gonna kill you" speech by now. 

Jason flipped his spatha into a sword for better offense, and zoomed towards the giant at full speed, weapon outreached. 

They clashed in the middle, Jason slicing off one arm before whirling around and cutting a gash into its left knee. 

Jason gulped as the giant started toward again, only a little more angered. He raised his sword up and deflected the giant's club, leaping back to avoid it smashing into the deck where his feet had been. 

He stumbled back dizzily, defending blindly. 

"Jason!" Hazel yelled as she swooped down, her longsword knocking the giant round the head and to the ground. 

Jason glanced up to see her leaping off Frank's back — Frank had turned into a dragon, by the way — and landing on the deck. 

She raised her longsword to impale the giant, but it grabbed the weapon and tossed her aside like a rag doll. 

Jason shouted her name as he leaped up to protect her, pushing the giant back using winds and striking with his sword. 

Hazel jumped into the fight by his side, and the giant soon found itself fighting two demigods. 

"We're almost at Nisyros!" came Piper's warning. 

Jason and Hazel both glanced in her direction, which was a mistake, because the giant grabbed Hazel by the sword and flung her off the ship, her screams drowned out by the wind and the distance. 

Jason felt his heart drop into his stomach as he looked on in horror. Hazel's silhouette was growing smaller and smaller by the second. 

"Hazel!" Frank shouted, changing back into a human as he crashed into the deck. 

Jason slashed wildly at the giant as Leo jumped in next to him with a hammer and a sword in either hand. 

"Leo—"

"I got this! Go!" 

As soon as Jason's coin was safely back in his pocket, he took a running start and leaped off the ship's bannister, free-falling into the air. 

He scanned his surroundings until he spotted Hazel a few hundred feet below, helplessly flailing as she plummeted into the sea below. 

Jason followed suit, desperately trying to reach her before she hit the waves. He'd heard somewhere that hitting water from this high up was like smacking into hard concrete. 

He tried not to let that scare him. 

"Hazel!" Jason yelled, his fingers outstretched. He was so close, so close...

Hazel grappled for his fingers, her eyes shining with fear. 

"Almost there, Haze," Jason pleaded. "Look at me, it's going to be okay. I just need you to grab on!" 

The water was coming closer and closer now. 

Ten feet. 

Five feet. 

"Come on," Jason murmured, his fingers just brushing against Hazel's. 

Three feet. 

Two feet. 

"No!" Jason cried out in frustration. "Come on!" 

At the last moment, Hazel slipped out of his grasp and she smashed into the waves with a sickening crunch. 

^^^^^

"Jump!" Piper screamed at the giant that had thrown Hazel off the ship. Charmspeak was charged into every vowel. 

The giant froze rigid in its spot. 

"I said," Piper repeated in a low growl. "Jump!" 

The giant didn't even hesitate this time, and took a flying leap off the ship. 

Piper sighed in frustration. Jason had disappeared off the ship to chase after Hazel. She prayed desperately to all the gods that he caught her in time. 

"Hazel," Frank panted miserably as he struggled to his feet. Piper pulled him up, checking for injuries. He had a few splinters on his calf, but other than that, he was fine. Physically. "She fell," he managed, tears welling up in his eyes. 

"I-" The words died in her throat. Piper couldn't tell him that Hazel was fine, because the chances were high that she wasn't. 

Piper felt her stomach lurch with a sickening feeling. Losing Hazel would be...

Making it through their first quest against Gaia with all of them alive — and nearly not all of them — had been a miracle in itself, and they didn't have the physician's cure this time to bring anyone back. 

Frank ran a hand through his hair, blinking rapidly. "They should be here by now." 

Piper looked around. Nearly all the monsters were gone. Festus and Leo seemed to have managed just fine in Jason's absence. 

"We're almost to Nisyros," Leo said shakily, his voice trembling. 

Piper walked up to him by the steering wheel. "Leo—"

"D-don't," he choked out, staring steadily into the horizon. "She's gonna be fine. She-she has to be." 

Festus clanked across the empty deck, powering down in a corner. 

Piper swallowed. Jason still wasn't anywhere to be seen, and they were almost over Nisyros. 

"We'll descend from the air," Leo said quietly. "I'll drape the ladder off the side." 

They started spiralling to a lower altitude for them to climb off. 

He glanced at Piper. "You staying on?" 

Piper nodded. "I kind of have to." She gestured to her pregnant belly. 

Leo didn't smile or crack a joke at her expense, which worried her. 

"Hazel!" 

Piper whirled around at the same time Leo did. Jason had stumbled onto the deck, a broken form in his arms. 

"No, no, no," Piper murmured, kneeling down as Jason set Hazel's body down. 

"I couldn't—" Jason's voice cracked. "I couldn't get her in time—I—" His eyes were red-rimmed, a hopeless tear rolling down his left cheek. 

Piper shook her head furiously. "No, she's not dead." 

Quiet, wracking sobs came from Frank at her side, and Leo didn't seem to be able to breathe properly. 

"No, it was only a thousand feet," Piper said firmly. "She's alive. She-she can't be dead." 

"She's not breathing, Piper!" Jason cried, brushing tears away from his face as he collapsed on his knees. 

"Please," Frank whimpered. "Hazel, come on. Please." 

Piper fell back into a sitting position, stunned into silence. But Hazel couldn't be... 

Someone pushed her aside, and Piper quickly realised it was also. Everything was like a blur around her. She could only move in a sluggish manner, and she couldn't seem to connect her brain to her mouth. 

There was someone crying, choking sobs. 

It took a second for Piper to realise it was herself. 

"...Piper, come on!" Leo come into focus, tabbing her by the shoulder. "I need you to focus!" he yelled. 

Jason was staring at Hazel's body in disbelief, slowly shaking his head. Frank was frozen with horror, unable to comprehend what was going on. 

Piper recognised herself as going into shock. 

"Piper!" Leo's voice again. 

It was so faraway. 

There was a sharp sting on her cheek, and Piper realised that Leo had slapped her. 

Everything came back into animation around her. 

Hazel was dying, possibly dead. Jason and Frank has been immobilised with shock. 

"What..." Piper stammered. 

"She has a pulse!" Leo shouted. "Piper, you need to do something!" 

Piper gasped, the numbing feeling in her veins fading as her brain started to function properly again. 

"C-CPR, we n-need to pump—" Piper cut her stammering self off impatiently as she shoved past Leo and started performing chest compresses. "Y-You need to resuscitate her. Mouth-to-mouth, Leo." 

Leo, being the first one to come to his senses, leaned down and blowed air into Hazel's airway. 

Piper continued pressing on Hazel's chest with her interlocked palms, hoping she was timing them correctly. Tears clouded her vision and left her face with wet streaks. 

"Come on!" Piper begged as Hazel showed no sign of recovery. "Hazel, come on!" 

"It's not going to work," Frank sobbed from behind them. "She's dead! She's dead, Piper!" 

"No, we're not stopping!" Piper ordered. She fought back her own desperate cries. "Wake up, Hazel, come on!" 

She has to be alive. Come on, Hazel. 

"Wake up!" Piper shouted. "Hazel, come on! Wake up!" she cried. "Wake up!" 

Her arms were starting to ache. 

"Hazel, I'm begging you! Wake up!" 

Piper could taste her own salty tears and hear Jason praying in sheer desperation. Leo fell back, the flame of hope in his eyes flickering. 

"Wake up! Wake up!" 

Piper halted her chest compressions in surprise as her last two words came out charged with charmspeak, stronger and with more emotion than she'd ever done before. 

A deafening gasp and cough filled the air as Hazel sprang into a sitting position, her hands grasping for air. 

"Hazel!" Piper shrieked, flinging herself around the other girl. "You're-you're alive! You're okay!" 

"I was-I was falling," Hazel croaked. 

Piper cried into Hazel's shoulder as someone else's warmth came to envelop them. It was Frank, his arms wrapped around the both of them. A few moments later, Jason and Leo were beside her, wrapped in the group hug, muttering words of thanks and prayer.


	28. Unfortunate Timing

Piper leaned against the door of the couch, her eyes closed as she took in everything that had just happened. 

"You okay?" 

It was Leo. He sat down on the floor next to her, wrapping an arm across her shoulders. Piper leaned into his warmth. 

"I'm not the one who fell a thousand feet," Piper murmured. The shock was fading, but they were coming to their senses and realising that they'd almost lost Hazel. 

Piper was still trembling from the experience. Hazel has almost died and she had froze.

Leo gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry for slapping you." 

Piper returned a weak smile. "I froze. It's a good thing you did." She sat up straighter. "Leo, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about." 

He glanced at her, waiting. 

"I meant to do it with Jason here," Piper said slowly. "But I figured why not now?" 

Leo paused. "Are you breaking up with me?"

Piper couldn't help the snort that escaped her. "All right, I regret even thinking about it—" She made to get up from the floor. 

Leo pulled her down with a laugh. "Okay, fine, fine. I'll listen. Properly," he promised. 

Piper grinned. "Jason and I were talking, and we decided that we want you to be Jasper's godfather." 

Leo's expression shifted from astonishment, to excitement, to sudden alarm. 

Piper studied his face in worry. "What's wrong?" 

He fiddled with his hands. "You-you really want to trust the mechanic with the baby?" 

Piper rolled her eyes. "Leo." 

"I just," he paused. "I'm not the best with humans — don't even get me started on kids." 

"You're my best friend," Piper pointed out. "Doesn't that count for something?" 

Leo shrugged. "Eh, you just have poor judgement." 

Piper elbowed him in the side. She recognised his use of jokes to hide his true feelings. 

"You really want me to be the godfather?" Leo turned to her, his eyes shining with so much hope Piper wanted to attack him with a thousand hugs and protect him forever. 

"Of course!" Piper laughed. "Leo, there's no one else I would trust with my son more than you. You're going to be fun Uncle Leo — and well, if we need someone responsible to raise him—" She shrugged. "Well, that's what Calypso's for." 

Piper wrapped his arms around his neck and gave him a tight hug, Leo laughing into her shoulder. 

"I love you, Leo," Piper whispered. 

"Love you too, Pipes." 

Footsteps vibrated the deck as Hazel stepped up, changed into a new shirt and jeans, with a towel draped across her shoulders to prevent her wet hair from soaking her top. 

"How are you feeling?" Frank asked immediately, scrambling to his feet. 

Hazel shrugged. "Better. Not so cold." She eyed them warily. "What about you guys? You look a little shaken." 

"We thought we'd lost you," Jason said hollowly. "I think we're allowed to be a little freaked out." 

"Except you didn't lose me," Hazel reminded them. "You saved my life, now, let's go save the world." She waited expectantly. 

Jason smiled weakly. "Okay, okay." He looked around at the others. "The last ring. This is it, guys." 

The usual farewells were exchanged at the front of the boat, but they were filled with excitement and hope this time. 

"Hey," Piper murmured against Jason's lips as he kissed her. "Be careful." 

He drew away. "I promise. I'll come back," he reassured her. 

Piper swallowed. "You'd better, Sparky. Or I'll come over and kill you myself." 

Jason laughed, kissing her on the forehead. 

Piper hugged Hazel one more time, then Leo and Frank, reminding them not to do anything rash — especially Leo. She waved to them until they disappeared down the rope ladder and started walking across the island. 

"Just you and me now, Festus," Piper muttered as she patted the powered down metal dragon on the back. 

She traipsed around aimlessly, drawing out Katoptris. Hoping that it would give her clues of Percy and Annabeth's whereabouts. Now that they had the last ring, finding their friends was next. They wouldn't leave anyone behind. 

Whoosh! 

Piper froze in fear, slowly looking down in horror to see the puddle of water on the floor. She stumbled over to the bannister and clutched it, terrified. 

"No, no, no," she murmured. "Not now." 

She cried out as bolts of pain streaked through her, grappling and pulling her to the ground. It was like white-hot daggers in her gut, followed by the loud chatter of Katoptris falling out of her grasp and onto the ground. 

Piper's knees were next. She hit the ground, gasping for air and panting agonisingly. Tears seeped out the corners of her eyes, and Piper's arm instinctively went around her pregnant belly. 

This was bad. Really bad. 

Piper curled up into a foetal position, breathing in short, quick breaths to relieve the pain, praying and hoping that when this was over, she'd know what to do. 

^^^^^

As Frank approached the Stefanos Crater, he couldn't help thinking that of all the rock formations they'd seen during the quest, this was the most impressive. 

After wandering around the island, with Hazel trying to track it with her abilities and Frank with his ring, he felt hopeless once again when he saw the crater. It was enormous, spanning 5 miles, and finding a ring in there was bound to be like finding a needle in a haystack. 

"I can't feel anything," Hazel said in a low, worried tone. "Usually, it's in a cave, but I don't see anything here. No false rock — nothing." 

Jason glanced warily around the crater. "I guess, we start looking?" 

"Don't need to," came Leo's voice. 

The other three turned around to see Leo standing a while away at the left side of the crater. 

When they jogged up to meet up, Leo gestured to the small triangle on the side. 

Hazel sucked in a breath. She exchanged a glance with Frank. "The mark of Daedalus." 

"The Labyrinth," Jason said darkly. 

Percy and Annabeth's horror stories from their teenage experiences there, as well as Hazel and Leo's near-death in Pasiphae's hung unspoken. 

"I can control the Mist better now," Hazel said finally. "I can lead us to the ring, and after — conjure an exit." 

Frank raised a hand, and warily, placed a finger on the symbol. 

As it did when touched by a demigod, the symbol glowed blue, and the stone crumbled away to reveal a passageway for them to enter by. 

Jason threw a glance over his shoulder. The mortals didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. 

Hazel led them threw the cave, Leo at her side with a flame for light. But there was nothing spiky or even remotely dangerous, just a hollow maze. 

It was calm — too calm. Like the calm before the storm. 

Hazel had to concentrate to lead them to the ring. There was an aura of power surrounding the ring, and she had to keep opening new tunnels to lead them closer to the aura. 

Hazel wasn't quite sure when, but mid-step, the entire landscape shifted. 

Instead of rock walls, they were now standing in a cavern, with stalactites and stalagmites everywhere. Which made Hazel wonder where they could be where it was winter and not summer — not anywhere in Greece, for sure. 

Piles of precious metals sat in every nook and cranny, sending Hazel into overdrive. She couldn't feel the signature anymore — the other gems were blocking her powers. 

But there was something wrong about the cavern, something Hazel couldn't put her foot on. Her gut instincts were screaming at her to leg it out of there. 

"You did it," Frank said softly, pride swelling in his voice. "It's here. I feel it." 

They split up in a silent agreement and started sifting through the gemstones. Frank, as he was picking out gold metals, found a gem of topaz and a few nuggets of gold that he pocketed. 

It wasn't like he was stealing. It was for Leo to smelt into a ring. Frank still hadn't fully crafted his speech for his proposal, but the paper was on his desk, and all he had to do was start. 

Stones crumbled from the ceiling and hit the ground with quiet noises. Frank glanced up at the sound, confused. 

Leo had spotted something strange on a wall. It was a different shade to the rest of the rock, lighter and less worn. He approached it curiously, lighting a flame to give some light. 

"What..." he trailed off as the rock began to move. 

Leo swore under his breath as the camouflaged invictus peeled itself off the wall and launched itself at him. Stumbling back, Leo ducked under the swinging sword, yelling as he sprinted away. "It's a trap!" He dove behind a pile of rocks. "That wasn't a Star Wars reference!" he shouted again. 

"Leo!" someone cried out. 

Rarrr! 

There was little warning before the rocks came tumbling down onto Leo's back, pinning him down to struggle as the invictus stomped along the ground in approach. 

Leo yanked on his arm, gritting his teeth in frustration as it wouldn't budge. 

The invictus' sword swung and slammed into the ground just an inch from his face, pushing a whimper out of Leo. 

Then Jason kicked him in the rear, slicing the monster in half with his spatha. "Let's go!" he shouted, shoving the rock off Leo's arm and pulling him to his feet. 

Leo followed at Jason's heels, scanning the cavern in horror. Invicta, warriors, and monsters dotted the landscape, with no escape in sight. 

"We have to hold them off!" Jason yelled, hoisting up his sword and jumping into a fight against a harpy. 

Leo opened his mouth to ask about Hazel and Frank, but he then noticed the elephant lumbering through their enemies' ranks and bashing them into walls. 

To his right, Hazel's sword was lying abandoned on the ground. Leo caught a glimpse of her brown hair disappearing behind a column of rocks. 

"She's looking for the ring," Jason murmured out of the corner of his mouth. "We need to keep them away from her." 

"Frank's got her back. So I guess we're the distraction." Leo frowned. "I'm usually the one eating distracted, not the other way round." 

He grinned when Jason covered up a snicker with a serious cough. 

"Hey, Ugly!" Leo screamed, sprinting away from Jason and running like a headless chicken. His hands had delved into his tool belt and were rummaging around, deftly fixing up something random, and no doubt, dangerous. 

Leo, unfortunately, caught a warrior's attention, and started to back away slowly as he approached. "Hah!" he exclaimed, hurling the explosive he'd briefly constructed. 

The sparks and pops that were emitted attracted another horde of invicta to Leo. He sighed, pulling out a screwdriver and a rope. 

Leo bounded along the side of the cavern, a string of enemies following at his heels. His fingers nimbly secured one end of the rope into a small crevice between two boulders as he grabbed the other end and kept on running. 

When the string started to near tautness, Leo circled back with a spring, bundling four invicta and a warrior into a tangled mess of limbs. His free hand fished out a small stick of explosive while the monsters struggled. 

"Boom goes the dynamite!" Leo cheered as he lit the fuse and tossed it into their midst. The explosion rocked his sight, leaving him seeing white and black spots. 

It was worth it, though, because they were vaporised on the spot, and a few other monsters within a small radius were also dispelled. 

A few boulders away, deeper into the ground, Hazel was scrabbling at gravel and rocks to find the ring she was so desperately searching for. The sounds of explosions, shouts, and roads faded into white noise as she forced herself to hone in on the ring's magical emissions. 

She had to allow the presence of other precious gems to fade, revealing a strong pull. She couldn't exactly describe it, but she just knew that this was the last ring. 

A small groan behind her made Hazel whip her head around. Frank had been tossed into the small trench she had dug, his forehead matted with dried blood from a nasty gash and a stab wound visible in his side. 

"I'm-I'm fine," Frank managed through gritted teeth, his breathing unsteady. His fingers were splayed across the stab wound as he clumsily pulled ambrosia out of his pocket. 

"We're gonna get through this," Hazel promised, her eyes fixed determinedly as she continued down the tunnel. "Frank, it's gonna be okay." 

"Yeah?" came his shaky reply. The fear was evident in his tone. Hazel chided herself inwardly for letting it pass her sight; Frank was scared. 

"We're gonna be back at camp," Hazel continued, her fingers grabbing small jutting rocks as handholds. "You and me. All our friends. We'll have breakfast in the pavilion. No one will be trying to kill us." 

"That would-that would be nice." 

Hazel kept talking about their life back at camp, trying to soothe Frank. Her near-death scare must've affected him more than he let on. And now, they were stuck in another sucky situation where any of them could likely die. Her voice broke off into silence when the light from her sword glinted off something in the corner of her eye. 

"The ring," Hazel breathed in disbelief, nearly breaking into sobs of relief. "The ring! Frank, it's here!" Her calloused fingers hooked around the band as she struggled to return to the surface. "Frank! We've found it!" 

She burst out of the tunnel, smashing her lips onto his as she slipped the ring onto her index finger. 

When they parted, Frank stared tearily at her. "You did it." He inhaled with a shudder. "Hazel, I-I-"

Hazel threw a glance over her shoulder. "Frank," she interrupted. "I love you. So much. And as much as I want to hear what you have to say, Leo and Jason are in a predicament right now." 

Frank blinked and seemed to come out of his reverie. "Oh gods, you're right. This is a battle." He paused in horror. "This is a battle!" 

Frank leaped out of the crevice, hauling Hazel after him as he shielded her from flying arrows. The metallic clangs and putrid smoke instantly sharpened Hazel's mind into fight mode. 

She pressed a kiss to his cheek. A promise that she'd hear him out when they were safe. Giving his hand one last squeeze, Hazel drew her sword and plunged into battle.


	29. The Road to Get Home

"Here," Annabeth panted as she pressed the key into Percy's hand. She was still catching her breath from the flight. 

Percy carefully attacked the key to his bead necklace. Through his years of captivity, Tartarus had never removed the necklace. It started out as a nice reminder of home, a symbol of hope that people were coming for him. But when no one showed, it started to taunt Percy, day and night, whenever he so much as looked down. 

When Annabeth stepped into his cell, the necklace became a wistful memory of what he could have again. Camp, a home, a family. It all seemed so faraway now that Percy knew the odds of them dying were, well, terrifyingly high. 

He risked a glance at Annabeth, who had folded up the map neatly and slid it into the pocket in the lining of her coat. 

"You're like Dora," Percy remarked. "With the map." 

As he expected, Annabeth glowered at him. 

"Come on," she said with a roll of her eyes. Her feet started to trudge towards the entrance to Nyx's palace. 

Percy forced himself to follow in her footsteps. So close, he reminded himself. A few more floors and you're home. 

The flights of step only took a few minutes to climb, but for Percy, they stretched into eternity. His heart pounded wildly against his rib cage; this was it. They would be out of this godforsaken hellhole — for good this time, hopefully. 

He watched as Annabeth's gaze flickered from door to door, trying to remember which was the one with the portal home. "Aha," he heard her mutter as she pushed one of them open as stepped inside. 

Almost instantly, Percy could feel the breeze of Central Park, taste the saltiness of the ocean air, and hear the chirps of birds. He resisted the urge to hurtle through the portal and never look back. 

The expression of longing on Annabeth's face now turned into relief. Percy realised that some part of her feared that the portal had disappeared and left them stranded forever. 

"You first," Percy said quietly. 

Annabeth swallowed. "Percy," she turned slowly to face him, an image of the portal reflected in her grey eyes. "I'm sorry," she admitted. "I-I've been cold to you, and I'm sorry. You get that, I mean, considering...everything." 

Percy could hear the blood pounding in his ears. 

"As horrible as this place is," she continued. "It's made me realise that...you mean, well, so goddamn much to me. I couldn't have done this without you." 

"Everything has forced us together, but when we get back home, I'm done pushing you away," Annabeth looked down at her feet. "We tried dating, and that didn't work. But before that we were best friends, and..." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "We could...try that again?" 

Percy's heart jumped at the chance she offered. Yeah, it hurt that the girl he used to consider the love of his life was breaking it off. But after he left her alone to her fears and nightmares, Percy was grateful just to be by her side. If 'friends' was what Annabeth wanted, he'd give her that. 

No matter how many feelings he'd have to bury. 

"Gods, yes," Percy said with relief. "I-I've missed you," he confessed. 

Annabeth bit her lip. "Five years was a long time," she said with a small laugh. 

Percy gestured to the glaring circle of light. "You first, Wise Girl." 

Something flashed through Annabeth's eyes — pain, Percy thought, but he must've imagined it. 

"Yeah," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Annabeth flashed him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and took a step into the portal. 

Her silhouette disappeared into the light, and Percy felt his gut fill with dread. He was alone now. In Tartarus. 

Percy shook it off. "Home," he told himself sternly. 

His foot reached out to enter the portal when the circle of light began to expand like a rubber band. 

Stumbling back in surprise, Percy could only watch in horror as the circle lashed back and snapped like a rubber band. 

"No!" Percy yelled, throwing himself forward into the closing portal. 

He smashed into a cold stone wall, the room lapsing into darkness as his only road home disappeared from sight. 

"No, no," Percy gasped in fear. "No, this isn't happening." He let out a frustrated shout as he slammed a fist against the wall in fury. 

A low, rumbling chuckle filled the room. 

"Who's there?" Percy demanded, Riptide springing into his dominant hand. "What's going on?" 

The laugh escalated into a shrieking cackle. 

"Nyx," Percy whispered in cold fear, his heart turning to stone as he was overcome with dread. "What've you done with Annabeth?" he yelled. "Where is she?" 

He spun around in a circle, wielding Riptide defensively, but there was no one there. Squinting into the darkness, Percy tried to ignore his palpitating heart and the chilling laughter. 

Were the walls...moving? 

It took him a moment to realise that, yes, they were. In fact, they were shifting and groaning and moving towards him. 

Percy retreated with a pant as claustrophobia started to squeeze at his heart. "This isn't real," he whispered to himself. "This isn't real." Thé tremble in his voice betrayed his terror. 

His back hit the wall and sent his senses into hysteria. Before Percy could scream, the walls vanished, leaving him in an inky void. 

"Nyx!" Percy shouted into the nothingness. He couldn't feel the ground or see anything but darkness. Knowing Riptide was gripped tightly in his hand gave him some comfort, but he wouldn't even be able to see his hand in front of his face at this point. "Show yourself! You can't scare me! I'm not afraid of the dark!" 

A chuckle that sent shivers down his spine filled the blackness. "Well, then you are a very foolish boy." 

Even though he hadn't been able to feel the ground a moment ago, Percy felt it open up —

And then he was falling. 

Hurtling through an empty pit. 

His feet hit the ground again and Percy crumpled to the floor in a heap of gasps. 

"Not scared of the dark!" Nyx shrieked with laughter. 

Percy shouted desperately as walls appeared around him — the same walls he'd stared at for five years. Metal bars slid down at the only exit, leaving him yanking at them helplessly. 

Then he was falling again. 

His cell was gone from sight. 

It was darkness again, but not night, because there were no stars, no moon in sight. 

Images flashed before his eyes. 

Hacky Sack with Grover and Annabeth on his first quest. 

Being squashed in one of Tyson's famous hugs. 

Percy felt his eyes well with tears. His best friend and his brother — they didn't even know he was alive. 

Leaning over Luke's dead body, knowing that the war was over and Annabeth was alive. 

Kissing her in Mt. St Helens. And again underwater. 

Being on by Camp Jupiter and raised into a shield when they declared him praetor. 

The final moment when Gaia was vanquished and, for a heart-stopping moment, realising that Leo was dead. 

The sensation of falling didn't stop, but he felt like his entire life was flashing before his eyes. Percy didn't even have time to recover before the next image took his breath away. 

The lashing of a whip on his back. Knives digging into his skin, leaving scars over old faded ones. Tartarus' smirk when he screamed in agony. 

Annabeth crying and turning him away when he finally saw her again after all those years. 

"They never loved you," a voice snarled. Not Nyx this time. 

His friends looking away from him with disgust and unwelcome faces. 

Poseidon regarding home this disappointment. I thought you could do better, he said bitterly. 

"Stop!" Percy gasped. "Stop!" 

His mother slamming the front door in his face. You lead the monsters to us, she growled. You put us in danger. 

Chiron staring, unflinching, as Percy was forced out of Camp Half-Blood. 

You never one of us, Annabeth sneered. You think I loved you? Think again. 

The way her features were twisted sent discomfort soaring through him. Annabeth would never say that. 

He forced his laboured breathing under control. "This isn't real," Percy croaked. "You can't trick me, Eris." The name slipped out before he realised what he was saying. 

The goddess of discord and strife. 

She was trying to rile him up. 

Percy mustered up the last spurt of strength he had. "I'm not afraid of you!" 

As suddenly as the vision had begun, Percy was lying on obsidian ground, limbs sprawled every which way. 

"I saw through your tricks," Percy said fiercely. "I'm not as weak as you think." 

He scrambled to his feet, fumbling to uncap  
Riptide. 

"You made a mistake trying to undermine me, young demigod," another — Nyx, this time — bellowed. "I will have fun dangling you above the sword before you finally have the sweet release of death–"

"That's not the saying! You're supposed to dangle the sword over me! Gods, educate yourself!" 

A few metres away from Percy, Nyx's chariot flickered into sight; and it was racing towards him at full speed. 

Instinctively, Percy tucked and rolled, feeling the vibrations along the ground as the chariot missed him by a hair's width. 

There was a screeching of wheels and roaring of horses as Nyx made a sharp turn. Percy sprang to his feet, sprinting towards the primordial as the chariot continued in his direction. 

Letting out a cry, Percy slashed Riptide down in a deadly arc, aiming for the kill. The chariot, along with Nyx, vanished abruptly the second he made contact with her. 

A sonorous clang pierced the air and made Percy wince as Riptide clashed with Annabeth's dagger. She had appeared in front of him, her dagger outstretched and tears tracing down her cheeks. 

"I'm not afraid of you!" she screamed, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. "I'm not afraid!" 

Percy parried her strike away in horror when he recognised the blonde hair. "Annabeth, no, it's me!" 

"Stop tricking me! You're not Percy! Go away!" she begged. "Leave me alone!" Even disoriented by Nyx's mind games and fighting blindly, Annabeth still managed to attempt a disarming technique. 

Percy leaped out of her way, dropping Riptide and grabbing her by the shoulders. "Annabeth, it's me!" 

Her dagger clattered to the ground. "No, it's not—"

"It's me!" Percy said desperately, blocking her punches. "Remember the Sirens' Bay? You were crying. But I held you." 

Her hits weakened as she slowly opened her eyes a sliver. 

"And Mt. St Helens?" Percy rushed frantically. "When we kissed? You thought I was going to die. I would've never been able to do it. But you had the guts." 

Annabeth's eyes flew open, her pupils shining with unshed tears. A sob escaped her lips as she collapsed to her knees. 

Percy crumpled to the ground in front of her, wrapping her in a tight embrace as the wracking sobs shook her. 

"You're right," Annabeth managed through the hiccups. 

"Wh—"

"I'm not—I'm not okay," she gasped. "I have a problem. I don't eat. I can't. I don't know why, but I can't. Percy, I don't know–what do I do?" 

"You're gonna get help," Percy said firmly. "From me — from all of us. We're going to get you through this." 

"But what if I can't?" Annabeth cried. "What if I'm just broken?" 

"Well, then you wouldn't be the only one," Percy whispered, images of the whip breaking his skin flashing before his eyes. 

Their foreheads were touching now as Percy angled his gaze to meet hers. 

"I'll be there the whole way. Through thick and thin," he panted. "I promise." 

"The last time you made me a promise, you said you'd love me forever." Annabeth's voice cracked. "You broke it. Why?" 

The one word was filled with so much pain and frustration that Percy felt his heart break for her. 

"Broke it?" Percy choked. "I wouldn't have, believe me. It wasn't my choice to leave you." 

Annabeth was stumbling over her words. "That's not what I'm talking about." 

Percy felt his brow furrow in confusion. 

What was she talking about? 

Too late, because the ground started to crack as obsidian walls erected themselves around Percy and Annabeth. 

Keeping her grip on his hand tight, Annabeth yanked Percy to his feet, wiping furiously at her tears. Each of their free hands clutched their weapon as they pivoted, looking for an exit. 

"The Labyrinth," Percy realised with dread as the walls started to grow and snake their way across he ground. 

Annabeth didn't speak, but she pulled him to the right, where the last wall hadn't yet sealed them off. Percy ducked under the ceiling as they raced through the corridors. 

The walls were closing in on them again. 

"Duck!" Annabeth yelled as spike erupted from the walls. 

Percy released an agonising groan when he felt something slash at his left side. Without powers over the Mist, there was no way they'd survive Pasiphae's labyrinth for much longer. 

"No!" Percy shouted, his instincts screaming at him. His hand grappled for Annabeth's as he hauled her backwards, keeping her from stepping into the seemingly never-ending chasm that had conjured in front of them. 

Together, they ran along another path, Percy's mind working itself into overdrive. 

It isn't real, he insistently reminded himself, though it was hard to believe when a battle axe nearly sliced him right through. It's all an illusion. 

Ropes lashed out from walls, trying and failing — only just — to restrain the two demigods as they narrowly escaped each trap. 

Percy was reminded of something his father had said over a decade ago. 

The sea cannot be held back. 

Memories started to flood Percy's head. 

There was the naiad from Geryon's stables. 

You're not so different from me, demigod. Even when I'm out of the water, the water is within me. It is my life source. 

And in Mt. St Helens, when Percy had caused an explosion just through the sheer amount of water he had surrounding him. 

And the hurricane he'd generated from nothing at all that had helped turn Hyperion into a tree. 

And finally, Thalassa. The way she didn't just control water. She was the water. She created a spring in the middle of a pit made from nothing but rock and sulphuric air. 

"What are you doing?" Annabeth demanded as she felt his footsteps slow. 

Percy reeled her in by the waist. "Hold your breath." 

He didn't have time to check if she'd obligated, because there was a torturous pull in his gut that made him grit his teeth. 

But it was a different kind of pain. It wasn't like any torture he'd endured — it was pain telling him that he was doing the right thing. 

Percy let out an earth-shattering yell as the bubble of anger in him that had been building up ever since Annabeth stepped through the portal expanded and burst. 

Water flooded the labyrinth by the gallon, rushing through the corridors and filling the maze to be brim. 

When the wall of water came to envelop them, Percy gladly embraced it, the saltwater boosting his strength and healing his wounds. It was like the buzz of life in his body had erupted into a dazzling light. 

Percy had never felt so free. Nothing could stop the sea, not even a primordial who was dumb enough to mess with the Son of Poseidon. After so many years of being chained to a wall, Percy felt like he'd burst out of his cage. 

He spun slowly in the water, seeing the labyrinth walls explode with satisfaction. They crumbled to dust, allowing the water to run free. 

Percy didn't stop there. Nyx was somewhere out there, at the base of this illusion, and he was going to find her. If this really was a mirage, the water was flooding Nyx's palace too. 

Something grasped weakly at his arm. 

It was Annabeth, her eyes shut as she floated in the water. But she was growing fainter by the second, her fingers reaching weakly for air. 

She couldn't breathe. 

Down. Percy forced the water to recede into the cracks in the ground, as if he'd pulled out the plug to a sink. 

When the water passed head level, Percy found himself sprawled on the floor of the room, Annabeth coughing madly at his side. 

"How..." she trailed off into another fit of coughs. 

Percy could hardly believe it himself. "The sea doesn't like to be held back." 

His mind moved to the more pressing matter at hand. Running to pick up Riptide, Percy's gaze searched the scenery for a certain goddess. 

Nyx was lying on the ground, her cropped black hair dripping wet and her clothes soaked. As she struggled to get up, Percy slammed the hilt of his sword into her chest, knocking her down to the ground again. 

He was tempted to finish her off — even for an immortal, a knife to the face wasn't the most comfortable. 

Throwing a glance over his shoulder, Percy saw Annabeth bracing herself into a kneeling position as she staggered to her feet, dagger in her belt loop. Her soaked orange t-shirt stuck to her figure, and the outline of her black bra could be seen through it. Blonde hair dripped water down her back and her sneakers were drenched. 

Percy recalled the fearful expression on her face when he'd lost himself in controlling Akhylys' poison. He had felt so horrible and so wrong in his own skin after that. 

So he lowered his sword with a grim face. Percy turned back to look at Annabeth. He gestured to the fallen primordial. "All yours." 

Annabeth strode up slowy, eyeing Nyx hesitantly. Her eyes were still rimmed red from earlier. 

She looked away from Nyx, and Percy followed her gaze to see the portal to Earth shining against the wall. 

"Let's go home," she said decidedly, approaching the portal. 

Percy flicked his gaze to the shining circle. The doorway. It was in their reach, for real, this time. 

"I hoped you learned a lesson today," Annabeth called back. A smirk that made Percy's heart skip a beat crossed her face. "Don't ever mess with a demigod." 

Annabeth gestured to the portal before looking up at him. "You first this time." 

Percy grinned at her. A sense of relief and calm had washed over him now that he knew it was over. "Gladly." 

He stepped into the portal and the world disappeared.


	30. A New Revelation

Frank swiped his paw at a warrior, bounding forward with his massive jaw outstretched. The best part about being a lion was the sheer power that was in his rippling muscles. The worst part was that even when he was human, he still remembered ripping his enemies apart. 

It was one of the reasons why he'd started to seriously consider joining Piper in vegetarianism. 

Just as Frank prepared to shred the warrior to pieces, the cavern started to shake rapidly. The rumbling took Frank by surprise, knocking him off his feet. He transformed back into a human mid-roll before stumbling to his feet. 

The warrior he'd been fighting continued to approach him in a battle stance. Frank was starting to agree with Annabeth's theory that they were actually mortals turned superhuman by Pontus and Tartarus. They didn't seem to have the same problems maintaining balance in the earthquake. 

"What's going on?" Frank shouted over the commotion as he and Jason found themselves fighting unstably back-to-back. He nocked an arrow and shot an invictus through the shell, allowing Leo to quickly vaporise the water spirit inside. 

Jason was fighting with one hand gripping his spatha and one hand calling on lighting to aid him. "No idea," he yelled back. "With our luck, probably more monsters." 

Sure enough, a large crack started to grow in one of the rock walls, as if some exterior force was pushing the boulders apart. Webs of cracks grew from there, causing Frank and Jason to exchange wary looks. 

Frank's magical bow and quiver shimmered and vanished, as according to his wishes. He stretched his limbs as he readied himself to morph again. 

As it turned out, it was a shaft of light that was separating the wall into two, shoving them into an open gateway. Frank overheard snatches of Jason's chain of swears under his breath. 

To Frank's utter incredulity and disbelief, none other than Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase burst out of the crack. His jaw dropped and his mind whirled with sheer astonishment. 

"Absolute legends!" Leo whooped. 

Even Hazel had nearly dropped her sword in awe. 

But the monsters didn't pause for a nice friendly reunion. Really impolite, in Frank's opinion. He told himself it was because they weren't Canadian. 

When Percy and Annabeth sprang into action, Frank exhaled with a low chuckle. 

It seemed that they had completely fallen back into step with each other's fighting styles after Tartarus, because they fought like the most deadly duo Frank had ever seen. 

As Percy slashed through the ranks, Annabeth covered him took on warriors. They spun, back-to-back, like they had fought together for decades — which they basically had. 

Frank shook himself to his senses and leapt in to aid them. His shift into a large bear mid-air resulted in him squashing two warriors flat when he landed. 

He had long since reconciled between fighting as a human and as an animal. After lashing out at a warrior with strong strikes, Frank would turn back into a human and take down a few invicta with his arrows. The next transformation could be a snake, which was good for stealth or surprise attacks, or a dragon, which was better if he wanted an overview of the battlefield. 

Frank swooped into be air in his dragon form, blowing fire on the monsters and dispelling a few invicta to the depths of Tartarus. At one point, he and Leo worked together to create a nice, smoked monster barbecue. 

He caught sight of Percy clenching his fist, simultaneously combining five water spirits and leaving five empty shells. 

But the monsters just kept coming. 

Annabeth seemed to catch on fairly quickly, considering she'd only joined the battle a few minutes ago. "There are too many, we'll never get them all!" 

"Exit!" Jason hollered, trying to point at the labyrinth that they'd come in by while he hurtled through the air and smashed into a few invicta. 

Leo was the first through the labyrinth, holding out fire to light their path along the way. Hazel raced after him to control the direction of the tunnel. 

Frank rushed after them, Jason at his side.

Annabeth was the last one through, keeping the monsters at bay as they hurried through the labyrinth. Percy was just behind Jason, flooding the cavern with a swirling whirlpool that captured warriors and invicta alike. 

"Since when can you just create water out of nothing?" Jason demanded. 

Percy shot Annabeth a smug look, receiving a scoff in return. 

"Long story," he assured his friend. "Tell you on the ship." 

When Frank burst into the Stefanos Crater, he couldn't care less about the screaming mortals and the people they'd probably scared out of their wits. 

He wasn't quite sure what they saw through the Mist, but it definitely wasn't the most pleasant sight. 

"The Argo II is miles away!" he yelled. "What are we going to do?" 

Even though most of the monsters had been trapped in Percy's whirlpool, there were still a ton of hem chasing them on foot. 

The deafening roar of a conch horn answered Frank almost immediately. A smile spread from ear to ear as Frank shot a few more monsters down. 

The entrance to labyrinth was staring to close again, trappings the rest of the monsters underground. The ones that had come through raced after Annabeth, even as she parried strikes and kicked them away. 

As ridiculous as it seemed, the Argo II was hovering overhead, the rope ladder unrolling as it descended. 

"I love you so much, Pipes," Jason shouted with a maddening grin, even thought she probably couldn't hear him. 

Frank didn't have time to wonder how in the world Piper had known to come to their rescue. His bow vanished moments before he transformed into a dragon and nabbed Percy and Annabeth in his claws, hauling them to he bottom of the rope ladder. 

Jason was already hurtling up through the air and would probably be the first one to reach the deck. Frank transformed mid-air and landed with his hands curled around the rungs as he slammed into the rope just a few metres above Leo. 

Annabeth clung to the rope for dear life as Frank's impact sent a sharp ripple through it. She was using one hand to scale the rope ladder, the other waving her dagger around like a lunatic. 

"Duck!" came a warning shout from above. 

Pressing herself as close to the ladder as possible, Annabeth felt the heat waves brushing past her hair as a fireball launched down and sent any warriors at her feet sprawling into a heap. 

"Go! Go!" Annabeth shouted impatiently to Percy, who was slightly pale from maintaining the whirlpool earlier. "Just think; It's like the camp climbing wall!" 

Percy sent her an incredulous look. "Believe me, if I thought lava was going to be pouring down on me any second, I'd be going a lot slower!" 

"Just climb!" Annabeth yelled between laughs. She couldn't help remembering Percy's multiple mishaps with the climbing wall back at camp. The number of close calls he and Grover had had with the lava. 

The warriors were scampering up the rope ladder like it was no big deal, and even Leo's fireballs weren't much of a deterrent. 

Annabeth wasn't given any warning before Jason slammed into the whole column of warriors and invicta, kicking most of them off and dangerously shaking the ladder. There was a shriek from above as Hazel lost her footing and nearly fell off. 

"Keep going!" Jason ordered. "I'll hold them off!" 

The climbing pace greatly increased once they didn't have to worry about the monsters. Annabeth felt her arms start to ache as she glanced up desperately. Frank and Leo has already disappeared onto the deck, and Hazel was close behind. 

She tried her best not to look down. A fear of heights had never been a problem, but when she knew the terminal velocity she'd reach and the time it would take for her to become a pancake in the middle of a crater, falling was a big concern. 

Percy swing his leg over the side of the ship before he grabbed Annabeth's hand and yanked her on board. She collapsed onto the floor beside him with tired breaths and gasps. 

Jason flew up in front of them, landing on the ship with a slight wobble. "Leo, why aren't we moving?" he demanded. 

"Something's wrong!" Leo yelled back. 

Annabeth struggled to her knees, then to her feet. That's when she realised that Piper was curled up in a ball on the ground, screaming bloody murder and panting breathlessly. 

"It's not over," Percy warned, gesturing to the warriors who were about to make it over the edge. 

Hazel rushed to Piper's side. "Oh my gods, she's in labour," Hazel shouted. "Get her to the infirmary! Go! Go!" 

Jason seemed to stagger backwards with a choked gasp. "She's—what?!" 

"Help me!" Hazel called desperately, and Frank quickly grabbed Piper's other arm. Together, they helped Piper down the stairs. 

"I'm gonna—I'm gonna be a dad?" Jason voiced in astonishment. 

"What the hell?" Annabeth shrieked. "Did you just—Piper's in labour? Piper's pregnant?" 

Percy slapped a hand to his forehead. "Oh my gods, I forgot to tell you!" 

"What?" Annabeth cried. 

"She was only three months along when I was here," Percy protested. He turned to Jason in shock. "We were gone for six months?" 

"No, four weeks," Leo interrupted. "Long story. Tell you later." 

"Oh my gods, Piper's having a baby?" Annabeth felt like she'd just been punched in the stomach. She shook herself out of it. "Forget it, we'll deal with this later. Jason, get down — help her," she ordered. "Leo, get to the wheel and turn us away." 

Leo cheered as he raced to the wheel. "Captain Annabeth's back!" 

"Go by water!" she added. "Percy's our biggest resource and it's all we've got." 

She spun around when she caught a glimpse of Percy leaping into action. There were two warriors at the edge of the ship that he easily knocked overboard. 

With an enormous creak, the Argo II started to turn, albeit slowly, but surely. 

A blood-curdling scream echoed up the stairwell. It was Piper. 

Annabeth saw Leo shoot a worried glance down the stairs. "Go, go," she insisted, drawing her dagger. "We've got this under control." 

Leo shot her a thumbs-up sign before he lumbered down the stairs, tripping over his own feet. 

"Can you steer?" Annabeth yelled over the whipping wind. "Do your mizzenmast thing!" 

Percy grinned. "I can't believe you still remember the exact word!" 

Annabeth ignored him. "Bigger problems right now!" she reminded. 

She rushed up and stabbed an invictus before slashing at its knees. One shove to the chest and it toppled overboard with the rest. "Percy!" 

He had backed to the steering wheel but seemed to understand what she meant, because he tossed Riptide into the air. Annabeth caught it and promptly started to slash at the warriors boarding their boat. 

Two weapons gave her a better attack as she swiped at them, stabbing one and then duelling the other. 

"Woah!" The ship lurched forward, sending Annabeth stumbling to the edge. The two warriors tumbled over the railing and was lost in the clouds. 

She glanced over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of Percy standing at the centre of the ship with his arms raised and his eyes closed. 

The sails unfurled themselves and the ladder rolled back up. The boat was tipping downwards and was headed straight for the harbour. Annabeth braced herself against the railing as they smashed into the water, sending gigantic waves into the air on all sides of the ship. 

She ignored the sting of the saltwater against her wounds as she engaged in fight with a couple of invicta. Without anyone with firepower, Annabeth relied on splitting the shells apart and leaving the water spirits to leak out. 

After successfully cracking two of them open, Annabeth suddenly found herself lifted into the air by three others, each grabbing a limb. She swatted at them with her knife, but it was no use. 

Think! Her gut screamed at her. Annabeth's gaze snapped to her one free limb — her left foot. Struggling to find footing against one of the invicta, Annabeth gritted her teeth and bent her knees as she flipped herself in a somersault using the tension in her free leg. 

Wrenching herself free of the invicta, she sliced one of them in half with Riptide and cut another one down at its knees. As she turned back to face them, Annabeth threw Riptide back to Percy, who caught it in a running start and leaped overboard. 

Annabeth felt her heart jump into her throat as Percy disappeared past the railing, but she relaxed once she saw him surfing on a wave, peeling monsters off the side of their boat with ropes of water. 

"Come on," Annabeth muttered to herself as she stepped back to avoid one of the warriors' swords. She parried the blade and side-stepped, allowing her to hack at the neck. The warrior crumpled to the deck before bursting into dust. 

Percy barrelled straight into her as he used the water of fling himself back onto the ship, causing them to collapse to the ground, him on top of her. 

"Aw, what did you eat?" Annabeth groaned as Percy rolled over with a pant. 

"Shut up," he muttered, but here was a joking sparkle in his eyes. 

Only later did Annabeth realise that she'd made a joke about eating without thinking about it. 

There were three warriors and two invicta left on the ship, and the Argo II was jetting ahead at full speed, hopefully towards somewhere safe until they could redirect to Thalassa's prison. 

Annabeth judo-flipped one of the warriors over her shoulder — a signature move she hadn't used in such a long time — before she stabbed him and shoved him off the boat. She stepped into a fight with the other one until she managed to trip him up and dispel him too. 

Her eyes scanned the area for the last warrior until she honed in on him; beside the mast of the main sail. 

Alarm bells were going off in rapid succession in her head. She realised his plan in a split second. 

Annabeth raced to the warrior, drawing her dagger back and throwing it with two fingers. But she was too late, and the knife struck the warrior through the head a mere moment after his sword had sliced cleanly through the mast. 

Annabeth stares in horror as the wooden column, probably about two feet thick and who knew how high, seemed to shake in the air. Then the fall became obvious, the mast cutting through the air as it hurtled down towards Percy. 

Percy was pre-occupied with the five invicta and didn't have time to dodge. By the time he would have dispelled them and turned around, the mast would've fallen on him. 

"No!" Annabeth screamer, reaching her hand out as if to shove him out of the way, but she was halfway across the deck. 

And then, like some sort of earth-stopping miracle, the mast creaked to a stop, hovering in mid-air. 

Annabeth couldn't believe what she was seeing — it defied the laws of everything she'd ever known. Somehow, she was controlling the mast, making it stop before it landed. 

Percy crushed the last two water spirits before he spun around, his jaw dropping at the image that greeted him. The shock evident in his features had immobilised him completely. 

A bead of perspiration rolled down Annabeth's forehead. "Percy!" she gasped in warning, her arm trembling with the effort. Fatigue had started to overwhelm her body. 

Fortunately, he ducked out of the way just as she released the mast, allowing it to hit the deck with a soft thud and roll over. 

Annabeth felt the world around her flicker between black and colour moments before her knees gave out and she crumpled to the ground like a piece of paper. 

She struggled to sit up, Percy kneeling in front of her with worry and traces of disbelief in his eyes. 

He swallowed. "Did you just..." 

There was an agonising yell that came from belowdeck, snapping Annabeth to her senses. She shook the exhaustion out of her head and looked up at Percy. 

"Later," they agreed in unison. 

They raced down to the infirmary, Annabeth stumbling over steps and Percy catching her as they went. 

Annabeth swung round the door frame and into the room to see Piper sitting on a hospital bed, her back against the wall and Jason at her side. 

Her hair was in its usual braids, but a few pieces of hair had come out and were plastered to Piper's face in perspiration. Her knees were up and a blanket covered her from the ease down, with only Hazel there to see what was surely a gruesome sight. 

"Isn't labour supposed to take ages?" Percy demanded. 

The death glare that Piper shot him rivalled Annabeth's. It was withering and sharp enough to kill. "You don't say?" she growled, letting out a whimper right after. "Oh, Jason, I hate you for doing this to me!" she yelled, shaking as the labour pins rolled through her. 

Leo was on her other side, muttering words of encouragement, though his face was just as ashen and pale as Jason's. Frank stood behind him awkwardly, here for moral support. 

"She's been having contractions since we left," Hazel explained. "That's already about three hours. And I think the baby's coming even faster because Piper's a daughter of Aphrodite." 

Piper let out another scream, her breaths coming out in short and sharp spurts. "Screw you, Mum!" she shouted. 

"I think you need to push now, Piper," Hazel urged. "You're dilated 10 centimetres. That's when the birth is supposed to happen." 

Piper squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her jaw. 

She exhaled with a gasp. "I can't! I can't do it!" she cried, tears running down her face and mixing with the sheen of sweat. 

Annabeth knelt down beside Jason. "Pipes," she said softly. "Look, I know this is hard. And what you're doing is both incredible and so, so brave. You have all our support, and I promise you're gonna get through this." 

"Easy for you to say," Piper whimpered, her eyelids dropping tiredly. But she sent Annabeth an appreciative look. 

Annabeth quickly ushered everyone else out of the room and shut the door so it was just Piper, Jason and Hazel in the room. 

Jason kisses Piper on the forehead. "Hey, Pipes, you can do this. Look at me." When she looked up weakly, he squeezed her hand comfortingly. "You can do this." 

Among the raw pain in her eyes flashed a doubt. 

"I'm here," Jason reminded her. "I'm right here, okay? The whole way. But this one is all up to you, and you're already doing so amazingly." 

Piper could barely throw a glance at him. Her body was aching, ready to shut down and sleep for two days straight. She couldn't even think through the pain — everything is a blur. 

Somewhere in the haze of agony she could hear Jason's soothing voice. She didn't really comprehend what he was saying, but his voice calmed her and it comforted her knowing she wasn't alone in this. 

"You're the strongest person I've ever met," Jason whispered. "I know you can do this." 

Piper wasn't quite aware of what happened next, but she knew that her entire body seized as she tried to push. She couldn't feel anything different happening through the pain, but she could hear Hazel's triumphant voice breaking through the fog. 

A croak of relief escaped Piper's lips as she thanked the gods that it was working. Her fingers dug into Jason's hand so hard she hoped she hadn't broken any of his bones. 

I can do this, Piper told herself giddily. Come on, come on. 

She let out a hoarse yell before a soft crying filled the room. Her body collapsed into the bed, teetering on the verge of unconscious. But she fought the waves of exhaustion; Piper wanted to see the son she had gone through so much pain for. 

A tear rolled down her cheek as her vision jarred back into reality. The pain had faded now, and the aches were starting to become throbs. 

"They can..." Piper couldn't muster the energy to continue her sentence, but she gestured to the door. 

Hazel seemed to get the message, because the rest of their friends flooded in with anticipation. 

Piper gently angled her gaze to Jason, who was holding a small bundle of blankets in his arms. Swaddled in the cloth was a crying baby boy, smaller and more fragile than Piper had ever expected. 

Jason was rocking him back and forth as his cries started to falter. 

"Can I you b-bring him c-closer?" Piper panted, her voice barely above a whisper. 

Jason obliged as he placed Jasper in her arms, wrapping his own arm around her shoulders and using his other han to support their son. 

Piper smiled weakly when she saw the small tufts of blonde hair covering Jasper's head. His eyes were closed as he recovered from his raw cries. 

"He's just like you," Piper whispered. She didn't want to admit that she was disappointed, but she had been hoping for a little bit of her Cherokee heritage to live on in him. 

Jason leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. "I love you," he mumbled against her lips. "You are amazing." 

Piper sighed. "I know." She laughed quietly at her own words, which only made her more tired. 

Jason cautiously reached a hand into the blanket. "Hey, Jasper," he said gently. "Welcome to our world. It's not that great but we're trying to save it." 

Piper laughed again, and she smiled when Jasper grabbed onto Jason's index finger and wouldn't let go. 

And then he opened his eyes. 

Piper couldn't help that her smile grew even wider. Jasper had her eyes; flickering different colours depending on the light. 

"Why am I crying?" Piper sniffled. "I don't know why I'm crying." 

One of their friends laughed. Annabeth, maybe? "Hormones, Pipes." Yeah, it was Annabeth. 

Piper was starting to regain some of her energy. Probably insufficient to last her the whole hour, but it would do. She craned her neck to look at her friends. "You're back," she said with a smile. 

Annabeth returned the smile. "Yep, against all odds." Piper noticed the close proximity between Percy and Annabeth, and in the back of her mind, she wondered what had happened in Tartarus. 

She didn't understand why both of them were so incredibly stupid. Just seeing the way they looked at each other and Piper knew they were in love. It didn't take a daughter of Aphrodite or a genius to notice. 

"I think his godfather should be next to hold him," Jason said finally. Piper offered the bundle of blankets up, looking expectantly at Leo. 

Leo approached them tentatively. "You really sure? No take backsies." 

Piper chuckled. "Yes, Leo. You can't change our minds." 

Jasper was transferred from Piper's arms to Jason, and then to Leo, who cradled him like he was the most breakable thing on the planet. 

"I'm gonna teach you how to build everything," Leo whispered. "And how to annoy your parents. I need to impart my wisdom to someone." 

Hazel was next to hold Jasper. 

"You're an awesome midwife," Piper promised her. "Those were some cool skills." 

Hazel's eyes crinkled into a smile as she gave Jasper a small hug. "Back in my first life, they expected girls to know everything about childbirth." She shrugged. "Never thought it'd come in handy." 

She passed Jasper to Frank it's as Annabeth sat down suddenly in a chair by the door. 

"You okay?" Piper asked in concern. 

Annabeth laughed. "You just gave birth and you're asking me if I'm okay?" Piper didn't miss that she and Percy exchanged glances. 

Percy carried Jasper over to her. "This is your Auntie Annabeth," he introduced him, chuckling as Jasper grappled for his hand. 

"You're carrying him so well," Frank said in surprise. 

Percy shrugged, not taking his eyes off Jasper. "My mum gave birth to my younger sister two months before I was...taken." He averted his gaze to his feet. 

Piper realised that Estelle was probably 5 years old by now. Percy had missed out on her childhood. 

"She's wonderful," Annabeth said, breaking the silence. 

Percy glanced up at her in surprise as he placed Jasper safely in her arms. 

"She likes the Little Mermaid," she informed him. 

When Jasper was back in Jason's arms, Piper kissed her son on the forehead. "Those were your auntie Annabeth and uncle Percy. It's complicated between them." 

Jason chuckled, brushing some of Jasper's hair back. "You should also know that they're completely, and utterly blind."


	31. Almost, But No

Annabeth's quiet breathing was the only noise to be heard. Night had fallen not long after Piper had fallen asleep, and the constellations twinkled mischievously in the dark sky. 

Leo's hands gripped the steering wheel, steering them towards Crete, where they would present Mnemosyne with the five rings and hopefully, retrieve the scythe. His eyelids drooped, black flashes mixing with the black horizon. 

"Leo," a quiet voice called. 

Forcing himself out of his bleary haze, Leo blinked several times before he registered Hazel's concerned gaze. "Wha-Oh, hey." 

She gave him a pointed look and proceeded to pry his fingers off the steering wheel. "Go. To. Sleep," she ordered firmly, her eyes telling him that she wasn't taking "no" for an answer. 

Leo tried to show her the main controls, but he was pretty sure his sleep-deprived brain wasn't making much sense at this point, so he turned Festus to co-pilot before he staggered back to his cabin for a much-needed shut-eye. 

Frank was the only person still in their right mind. He sat on the railing at the front of the ship, his legs dangling off the side as the sea breeze whipped his hair in every direction. 

Despite the exhausting events of the previous day, Frank had never been more alert. Back in the cave, when Hazel had attacked him with a kiss, Frank had been so, so, so close to just pulling out the ring and popping the question then and there. 

But he hadn't, and now it was with giddy fear that he fiddled with the silver band. Frank reminded himself that it was normal to be nervous. 

This was a big decision — easily one of the biggest choices he would ever make. If she said yes, Hazel would be part of his family. She would be his anchor for the rest of their lives together. It also meant that, should he be killed in battle, someone else would actually be affected. It definitely made him less reckless when fighting. He had someone to go home to now. 

The untouched piece of paper lying in his cabin refused to budge from Frank's brain. 

Dear Hazel, 

Frank cringed inwardly. He was asking her to marry him, not applying to a university. 

Hazel, I've always loved you. Really. Took me a while to realise it — I'm dumb like that — 

Frank immediately erased that. It sounded incredibly awkward. This had to be — 

'Perfect' was the word Frank had in mind, but before he could finish another coherent thought, the lapping waves around the ship erupted into spiralling hands. 

An indignant yell left his throat a moment before the water tightened around his body. The next thing Frank felt was the impact against the ocean. 

It was like hitting solid ground. Frank didn't die, but he certainly had the breath knocked out of him. 

Gasping for breath as he burst through the surface, Frank frantically flailed around. "Hazel!" His heart hammered wildly against his ribcage. "Hazel! Annabeth!" 

A familiar shriek caught his attention. Frank's vision tunnelled on the sea creatures that had taken the two girls captive. Their forms shimmered between clear water and that of slim, young girls, around Frank's age. 

These water naiads weren't like the friendly ones at Camp Half-Blood. Instead of the flirty giggles and sparkling green eyes, they had hands resembling claws and lips twisted into ferocious growls. Frank assumed they were under Pontus' control — not many water gods wanted them dead. 

"Go!" Annabeth screamed. 

It took a second before Frank realised that she was screaming at him. Her damp blonde hair was plastered across her face, but her grey eyes were fixed on the ship even as she pummelled them away with vicious punches. 

Hazel had disappeared, and it sent Frank into absolute disarray. 

"I'll get her!" Annabeth shouted, spluttering as she was plunged into the water. "Go!" 

Frank forced himself to turn back to the ship, where invicta had been launched on to the deck and had begun pillaging and destroying it. 

When he glanced back, Annabeth had briefly escaped the naiads and was diving underwater — to search for Hazel, supposedly. 

Frank gritted his teeth and grabbed onto the bottom planks of the ship, beginning the climb up. She'll find her. She'll find her. 

^^^^^

Percy had once considered marking on a calendar the number of good night's sleep he got as a demigod. Seriously, that would be really useful in a Guide to Being A Demigod. 

The idea had gone down the drain when he'd been kidnapped, but he was starting to remember why he'd imagined it would've been a good idea. 

On top of the never-ending nightmares of torture that plagued him, images of Tartarus had re-entered his dreams, adding on to Percy's reserve of sleepless nights. He could hardly remember the last time he'd woken up and hadn't been trembling or gasping for air. 

This time, the nightmares hadn't woken him up. Percy had jolted awake with a start when roars and smashing wood echoed in his ears. Initially, he'd thought they were part of the dreams, but as it turned out, something was very wrong. 

And so, he'd stumbled up on to the deck, Riptide in hand, only to groan at the sight of their heavily battered ship and over a dozen monsters. 

"Spicing it up, huh, Pontus," Percy muttered irritatedly as he dodged the strike of a dracaena moments before dispelling her. "Screw you, honestly." 

He bounded through their ranks, ducking, rolling, and parrying with every defensive technique that came to mind. Mid-strike, a gust of wind knocked a few monsters off the ship. Jason, Percy guessed. 

"Don't let them get belowdeck!" Percy ordered, gesturing to the staircase leading to the basement. Leo, who had just made his way to the deck, assumed his battle stance and began blocking the way for other monsters. "We can't let them get to Piper!" 

"Percy!" Jason yelled in warning, seconds before a frost giant pummelled him backwards. 

Percy gasped for breath as the giant's foot kept him unable to get up. 

Shing! 

A feathered arrow sprung from either side of the giant's head. From the wound, icicles spread across the giant's body, incapacitating the giant before it burst into bronze dust. 

Percy coughed furiously as he tried to catch his breath, moving onto his knees as he tried to keep the nauseous feeling down. A strong arm — Frank — helped him up, steadying him by the shoulders. 

"We've got this," Frank promised him, his eyes flashing frantically. "Hazel and Annabeth — naiads — in the water —"

Percy swore under his breath, his heart leaping in fear. He turned on his heel and sprinted to the bow of the ship, gripping the bar as he scanned the ocean for his friends. 

"Annabeth!!" Percy shouted, his voice whipped away by sea breeze and salt. "Annabeth!" 

"Percy!" came a yell. Not Annabeth. 

Percy's eyes locked on the small figure swimming desperately towards the ship. It was Hazel, her damp hair sticking to her temple as she punched the naiad grappling to drown her. 

Percy clenched his fists, the water beside Hazel mimicking his moves as they rose up and ripped the naiad off of her. The giant hands came down once again to pick Hazel up, delivering her next to Percy. 

"Are you okay?" Percy demanded, kneeling down to check on her. 

Her coughs wracked her body, water spluttering out of her mouth. She raised up a hand to signal that she was fine. "A-Annabeth," she managed between chokes. 

Percy gave her a swift kiss on the forehead. "Be safe, Haze. Thanks," he said hurriedly. Backing away from her, Percy dove off the edge of the ship as gracefully as he could. 

The moment he landed in the sea, Percy felt a wave of power wash over him. The relief that enveloped him with the added security of knowing his own strength didn't hurt. 

Willing the currents to propel him towards a struggling Annabeth, Percy enables whirlpools to catch the naiads by their feet, dragging them underwater. 

"Percy!" Annabeth shouted. Her dagger was left on the ship, which meant that she only had her hands. 

For a moment, Percy thought she was throwing punches at the naiads. He quickly realised that her palms never made any contact, but the naiads were still pushed away. 

The image of the mast falling flashed through Percy's mind once more, clearer than it had in his nightmares. It seemed that her sudden powers hadn't failed since then. 

Percy caught her eye and quickly realised that she was tiring. A few spurts of her powers and Annabeth was ready to pass out. He wasn't ready to guess what would happen if she overworked herself even more. 

Sea creatures he'd unconsciously summoned from the deep had come to their aid. A few jellyfish had their tendrils stinging the naiads and pulling hem away from Annabeth, who's head had dipped underwater for a while. 

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled, whipping his head around in search for her. To his left, there was a shining spot just by his feet. Bingo. 

He ceased the currents keeping him afloat and descended into the depths of the water. Percy took a deep breath, feeling refreshed in his domain.

Annabeth was falling deeper into the water, her eyes close and bubbles escaping her lips. The furious screams of the naiads had faded into the distance as the jellyfish pulled them further to the bottom of the sea. 

Percy desperately reached out a hand, his fingers just brushing hers before she slipped out of his grasp again and continued to sink. Letting out a frustrated groan, Percy propelled himself deeper down, the darkness starting to envelop them now. The stars were too far away to provide light. 

Closing his eyes, Percy drew the small air bubbles in the water towards them, enclosing them in a large bubble of oxygen. When his eyes flickered open, Percy found that they were floating, suspended in the water. 

A few short gasps and Percy knew that Annabeth had woken up. Her eyes were bleary with exhaustion, but they fixed on him for a moment. 

"Percy," she murmured, shivering from the cold. Her clothes and hair were still soaked through. 

Percy reached out a hand, hesitating. "Can I?" When she nodded, he grasped her hand, the water rapidly running off her clothes. Seconds later and she was completely dry. 

Their entwined fingers were hell to Percy. He knew that he'd agreed to just being friends, but deep down, regrettably, Percy knew that they could never be just friends. 

He slipped his hand out of hers and swallowed. "We should — uh — they're fighting the monsters on the deck." 

Annabeth was already looking up at the ship, probably deciding what the best plan of attack was. "Can you get us up the back of the ship? They won't expect it and we can get them from behind."

With his arm wrapped around his waist, Percy willed them to the surface, the bubble popping softly when they broke through to the air. The currents pushed them round the back of the ship stealthily. 

He hoisted Annabeth onto the side of the ship. She flung into the planks, using gaps and nails for footholds and handholds, beginning to nimbly scale the wall. 

Percy followed suit, and was soon at her side. "Do me a favour?" he blurted out. 

She glanced at him curiously. "What?" 

"Don't use your..." He searched for the right words. "Air magic thingy." 

"Telekinesis," she corrected. 

"We don't know anything about it," Percy reminded her in a whisper. "It could be dangerous. Pontus could've given it to you as a trick! What if it's from Nyx's palace?" 

"It could just be me," Annabeth hissed. "You guys all have powers from your parents. What if this is mine?" 

Percy bit back a groan. "It tired you out just by using it for a few seconds. What if it kills you?" 

"Let's not do this now," Annabeth said with a sigh. "Look, we've got stuff to talk about — other than this." She paused, giving him a pointed look. Percy tried to form an understanding look. Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Never mind. Just —" She stopped as she mustered he energy to pull herself up another plank. "We'll talk later. After this." 

"I'm holding you to that," Percy muttered under his breath. His right hand grasped the railing and he hauled himself onto the ship, sprawling on the deck. Pants escaped him as his burning arms helplessly flopped to the floor. 

Annabeth gasped as she crumpled down next to him, breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath. 

Percy closed his eyes momentarily. "Can't believe I miss the camp lava wall." He waned nothing more than to fall asleep. Annabeth pulled him to his feet, her laboured breathing starting to fade. 

"Percy," Annabeth whispered. 

He jolted himself back to reality, forcing the fatigued haze away from his brain. An invictus was marching towards them, the last one on board. 

The rest of their friends were taking care of he rest of the monsters. 

Percy's hand instinctively went for his pocket, but Riptide hadn't appeared in it yet and was still somewhere on the ship's deck. 

"Uh, time to panic?" Percy tried as he and Annabeth backed away from the monster, both of them unarmed. The invictus raised its massive sword, preparing to slice them into small demigod morsels. 

"Stop!" Piper shrieked. 

The monsters, including the invictus, instantly halted in their steps. 

Percy's gaze snapped to where Piper was standing, the charmspeak in her voice so strong that it had stopped an entire army. 

Her legs were wobbling and her right arm clutched the staircase handle. Jasper was nowhere in sight, probably left downstairs for his own safety. 

Percy felt his pocket weigh down a bit — Riptide had reappeared. Taking advantage of the monsters' momentary distraction, Percy leaped onto the invictus, drawing out Riptide and hacking at its shell. He raised his other arm and the water started to leak out of the wound. 

Shit, Annabeth! Percy chided himself for leaving her helpless and without a weapon. As he doing off the disintegrating invictus' back, Percy spotted her engaging in hand-to-hand combat with a dracanae not far from him. 

She blocked strikes with her hands by aiming for the wrist before grabbing the length of the spear and yanking it from the snake woman's grip. Annabeth promptly used the weapon to dispel its previous owner. 

"When did you learn kung fu?" Percy demanded as he landed next to her, taking down a harpy baring fangs. 

Annabeth rolled her eyes, parrying a strike and knocking a giant off its feet. "It's a move from kick boxing. I didn't spend all my time looking for you." She shot him a smirk that told him it was all in good nature. 

Kick boxing? Percy distinctly remembered Annabeth hating the gym when they'd been dating, stating that she hated the stares they always got. 

For a heart-stopping moment, Percy wondered if she'd met anyone there. He pushed it out of his mind. It wasn't any of his business who she was dating anyway. 

"Leo, how are we doing on the take off?" Annabeth shouted. 

Percy threw a glance over his shoulder. So that's where Leo has been. He was fiddling with the switches at the control board, Festus stomping around in his defence. 

"I'm working on it," Leo insisted. 

Percy slammed the flat of his blade against the hellhound that tried to maul Annabeth from behind. She was tiring — a result of her malnutrition and voodoo controlling objects with her mind. 

He heard Leo shouting his name, but the rest of his words were drowned out by the sounds of fighting. 

"What?" Percy frantically gestured to his ears. 

Leo's arms broke into a mad flurry. "— air — boost —" were the only words Percy caught. 

He followed Leo's directions to the ocean that parted as the boat smoothly cut through the seawater. They didn't have enough time to prepare for liftoff. The Argo II needed an immediate jumpstart into flight. 

Percy yanked Annabeth away from the fight, dragging her to the railing as he fended off the monsters. Her furious protests failed to register in his mind. "Hold on," he ordered, ensuring her hands were firmly gripped to the railings. 

He zipped through the horde before she could demand an explanation, racing to the front of the boat. The recently repaired mast from earlier was wobbling but, by a miracle, held in place as Percy whirled round it. 

"Ready?" 

Percy found Jason standing at the front of the ship, his sword held out as if waiting for him. Grinning, Percy angled Riptide so that their weapons crossed, feeling the hairs on his skin stand up with the electricity crackling through their swords. 

His eyes fluttered close, the last glimpse he caught of Jason in full concentration. Percy tried his best to drown on distractions that were around them. He made himself forget the monsters, forget his friends, forget the great danger that was imminent. 

Percy focused on the power lying idle in the ocean, all of that strength at his beck and call. He willed the water currents to push at the base of the ship, creating a massive tidal wave that would slowly build up to launch. 

Gritting his teeth and gripping Riptide, Percy let out a yell as the wave propelled them further into the air, shaking the boat and all its inhabitants. There were the tell-tale shouts of surprise as the other demigods started throwing the monsters off. 

"Come on," Percy murmured. 

When his eyelids flew open, Jason was staring right back, nodding purposefully. Keeping the urge to groan inside, Percy pulled the water back and released it — slamming the ship into the air with a slow, yet steady acceleration. 

Jason's legs shook as he managed to keep the ship airborne. A few seconds passed with only his powers keeping them alive before the ship's engines took over. 

When the ship started to increase in altitude, Jason stumbled backwards, Percy catching him by the arm as they both staggered away from the bow of the ship. 

"Oh my gods," Hazel gasped. She was the first one to reach them and slung both their arms across her shoulders, staggering to support their own weight. 

When Frank's exploding arrow dispelled the last of the monsters — a harpy — he helped them over to the sofa too. 

Piper was curled up in a foetal position on the couch, snoring softly as she slumbered away. Percy expected that she still had to be exhausted from Jasper's birth. 

Someone placed a glass of ambrosia in Percy's hand. It was Annabeth, evident as she sat down on the couch next to him. "I didn't give you a straw," she pointed out quietly. "Save the turtles." 

Percy raised his glass. "Cheers." The sweet drink made the throbbing in his head recede and allowed him to regain his sapped energy. 

Jason had taken a square of ambrosia and was sprawled next to Piper, his snoring not as low as hers. 

Setting the empty glass down on the coffee table, Percy glanced over to see Annabeth's head lolling on the back of the couch, her tangled hair messy and scrunched up under her neck. 

His mind wandered to her powers and their sudden appearance. While Percy remained wary, he had to admit that they could be helpful at times. 

Considering she didn't kill herself using them. 

I know you hate me, Percy thought. But at least help me help her. He doubted that Athena would even hear his prayer, much less answer it. The gods had been silent for five years with no communication in the least. 

Come back, Dad, Percy tried. He might have better luck with Poseidon. The word 'Dad' felt foreign to him, and it just made him think about his mum, Paul, and Estelle. 

Percy groaned internally. He missed when the biggest problem in his life had been passing a Latin test and staying in school. Vaguely, he wondered if he'd give that mortal life a go after all this. Pass the GED, get into a university. 

A peaceful life after all this would be cool. 

Not that he could ever fully leave his demigod life. Percy lived for the adrenaline that fighting out in his veins. He couldn't really leave that all behind. 

His gaze flickered to a sleeping Annabeth. The last time he'd thought about his future, she'd basically been it. Percy wasn't quite sure when that had changed, but it made his heart ache. 

It wasn't right. It just wasn't.


	32. You’re Not Alone

Annabeth dreamt of a boy. 

A boy with ginger hair and a lanky figure. What struck her the most were his grey eyes — her grey eyes, to be exact. 

He was a child of Athena, just like her, but he was different. While Annabeth's friends had always said her eyes were calculating, this boy's eyes were filled with shattered dreams and anger. 

The next Annabeth noticed was where they were. She was watching the scene unfold like in a movie, but the death and destruction surrounding her felt so real. 

Annabeth was in a medieval village — England in the Stone Age, based on the architecture. 

Fires ravaged the wooden huts, trapping civilians and livestock alike. Screaming babies and yelling villagers trying to beat out fires were the only thing she could hear. 

The image zoomed in on a fight in the street. The invading soldiers had surrounded a family and were moving in for the kill. 

A lady Annabeth assumed was the mother clutched her shawl and clung to her youngest daughter, her two other children close to her. Her husband lay dead at her feet, stabbed through by one of the soldiers. 

The ginger-haired son of Athena Annabeth has first caught sight of had his arms flung out in protection, warding the soldiers off. His eyes were filled with terror, pools of grey reflecting the flames that ate away at his home town. 

"Stay away!" he screamed, arms outstretched. 

His mother seemed to scrabble for her eldest son. Annabeth heard part of her shrieks — "don't!" 

Not heeding his mother's warning, the boy, only a few years younger than Annabeth herself, brandished his hands in an intricate fashion. He reached out in a grabbing motion and slammed his hand into the cobblestone. 

Cracks started to grow from the point of contact between his fist and the stone, sending the soldiers sprawling and wobbling. 

The boy let out a yell as he thrust his hands out and clapped them together, creating a deafening clunk as two of the soldiers were smashed against each other, their skulls cracking with the sheer force. 

Annabeth watched in horror as the boy stumbled back, visibly weakened. 

"Demon!" one of the soldiers shouted, drawing his sword. "A monster from the devil!" 

The boy brought his arms back in a pulling motion, and wheelbarrows from either side of the street crashed into the soldiers at full speed, splintering as they briefly incapacitated the enemies. 

His eyes were swirling now, churning whirlpools of power and strength. 

Somehow, Annabeth knew what was about to happen. She couldn't cry out, couldn't warn the boy or his family. 

The tar in the streets started to crack as stones pulled themselves out of the ground and were suspended in the air. 

"Stop!" the boy's mother tried once more, keeping her children behind her as the boy started to...glow? 

Annabeth didn't believe it at first, but his skin was starting to colour a bright red, smoke spitting off in small plumes. The rocks under his command were levitating, deadly weapons at his hand. 

But before the boy could raise his arms, his head jerked back suddenly, revealing the inky black that his irises had now become. His fists clenched, a guttural and animalistic scream tearing itself from the boy's throat. 

"No!" he cried, his voice raw and cracked. The glowing veins on his skin continued to run across his body like a mesmerising yet terrifying drawing, cracking him apart like dried paint. 

Annabeth's eyes fluttered close mere seconds before a massive explosion rocked the village, vaporising the boy, along with his family and everything within a metre radius. 

Annabeth's cry broke into Piper's words as she snapped awake on the deck of the Argo II. The boy's expression of fear and agony was seared into her brain like a scar that would never fade. 

"—beth," Piper finished calling her name, jumping back in surprise. "Oh, you're up." Her eyes roved over Annabeth's clammy skin and pale face. "You okay?" 

"Y-yeah," Annabeth choked out, her heart beating rapidly out of control. "I'm fine." Tossing her shaky legs over the side of the couch, she pushed herself to her feet, unsteadily walking towards the rest of their friends. 

"We're docking in Crete," Piper explained, unconvinced by Annabeth's instinctive lie. "Going to get the scythe from Mnemosyne in exchange for those stupid rings." Annabeth glanced down as Piper wriggled her right hand, the moonlight glinting off of the golden band. 

Annabeth frowned. Moonlight? She groaned internally as she realised that she'd, once again, slept through another day. When had she become nocturnal? 

"Right," Annabeth shook the dream out of her head. She couldn't afford to think about that right now. The quest was her priority. "The scythe." 

"Here." 

Annabeth blinked a couple of times before she registered Piper sliding the ring off her finger and placing it in her open palm. 

"Jason and I are staying with Jasper," Piper explained. Annabeth's gaze sidled to where Jason was standing, their sleeping baby son cradled in his arms. "We'll keep the ship and him safe." 

"O-Okay." Annabeth slid the ring on her own finger.

Piper's eyes flickered to where Percy was standing, Jason's ring on his left index finger and his right hand fiddling nervously with Riptide. "When you get back," she said in a low voice. "We're having a proper chat about you and him." 

Annabeth flushed a dark red. 

"Don't even try to escape," Piper whispered, nudging her towards the stairs. "It was Hazel's idea." 

After Leo had firmly anchored the ship to the port — involving a lot of screaming between the person manning the port and himself — the rest of the demigods filed off the boat, the five rings amongst them. 

Annabeth wasn't quite sure what to expect, but a trek up the mountain wasn't it. 

"You're kidding me, right?" she said, deadpan as her gaze roved over the hill they were supposed to scale. 

Tourists were slowly making their way down the path that led to the cave, signalling that it was nearly closing time. Annabeth assumed that the Titans only held their meetings when no mortals were around to witness it. 

"Hello, you want a donkey?" 

She turned around to see a greying Greek man gesturing to the stable of donkeys behind him. 

"Hell yeah," she heard Leo mutter as he bounded up to the man. "How much for one?" 

"Ten euros," the man told him, the accent strong in his tone. 

"You want to get on one?" Percy asked her. 

Annabeth snorted. "Are you kidding? No thanks." 

When Percy and Leo were seated in their respective donkeys, the man and woman leading the animals started walking up the path. 

Annabeth couldn't stop laughing as they passed intrigued mortals. Two grown men on donkeys had to be a rare sight. 

"I'm gonna stay on this end," Annabeth informed Percy as she walked along beside the donkey's snout. "I don't trust its back like I do its front." 

Halfway up the mountain, Annabeth began to regret making fun of Percy. The walk was exhausting and uphill the entire way — apparently, the cave was at over an altitude of 1 kilometre. 

She wasn't about to admit it to Percy though, feeling his smug smirk boring into the back of her head as she struggled to conceal her panting. 

"Get off here," the man instructed, allowing Percy and Leo to slide off the animals. He pointed uphill. "Short walk to the cave. Donkey cannot handle it." 

"Thanks," Percy called as the man and woman led the donkeys away. "Poor donkeys. Worst job in the world." 

Making their way up the rocky pathway that started from the drop-off point was easier said than done. Annabeth found herself breathing heavily as her aching limbs pulled her up the elevated slope. 

When they finally reached the summit, Annabeth wanted to punch the gate blocking their way. The desk where the receptionist usually sat was vacant, and the site was long closed and empty. 

"It's fine, not our first time here," Leo reminded her as he reached into his tool belt to pull out a massive rope. Frank quickly lassoed it onto the top grail and started the climb. 

When everyone had made it to the other side without much effort — except Leo, who was panting rapidly — Hazel led the way to the cave. 

Annabeth wasn't sure what she had imagined the Cave of Zeus to look like, but this was incredibly impressive. The stairs and railings constructed for tourists made the descent easier. 

The moment the darkness enveloped her, Annabeth felt like she'd been sucker-punched in the gut. A strangled cry escaped her throat as she nearly slipped on the stone, her hands desperately clinging to the railing as she squeezed her eyes shut. 

Images of Tartarus flashed before her eyes and she was back down there again. The Cyclopes were attacking them again. They'd taken Percy hostage and bundled her up in ropes to prevent her escape. 

"Annabeth!" 

She lashed out. "No!" She wouldn't let the Cyclopes kill her. She wouldn't die down here. Her arm swung out in a punch, and she felt something catch her strike — the Cyclops. It had anticipated her next move. 

One of them wrapped their arms around her, restraining her as she kicked out and struggled between heavy breaths. "No! Let go!" she screamed hoarsely, her fingers splayed across the monster's arm as she tried to contain her fear. 

"Annabeth!" Percy's voice rang out, breaking through her flashback. 

Annabeth heaved a wracked gasp as she felt her knees buckle, sending her crumpling to the ground like a piece of paper.

She was in the Diktaean Cave. She was out of Tartarus again. And hopefully, she'd never have to go back down there. 

Annabeth felt someone kneel down in front of her. 

"Annabeth, it's okay," the voice was heartbreakingly small. Hazel. "Y-you're not there anymore. You're here. With us. It's okay." Hazel wrapped her small arms around the trembling girl's figure, trying to give her some sense of comfort. 

Annabeth couldn't stop her breath coming in short spurts. It had seemed to real. Everything, the monsters. She wanted to burst into tears, but her friends were there. 

"I'm taking her back to the ship," Hazel told the others. "She's in no fit state to do this right now." 

"No, I'm fine," Annabeth interjected. She inhaled deeply. "I-I can make it a little further." 

Leo's hand was alit with fire, and Percy had Riptide out, a dark expression on his face that only meant he knew what she'd seen. 

"Are you sure?" Hazel asked worriedly. "Don't force yourself to do this." 

"I'm not," she assured her, stretching out an arm that Leo took, pulling her to her feet. 

"Stick with me," she'd never heard Leo sound so serious. "I'll light up the way." 

Annabeth continued with shaking legs, her heart still hammering repeatedly as a result of the brief vision. 

Back when she and Percy had come out the first time, it had been even worse. Plagued by constant nightmares and seeing the pit whenever she closed her eyes. Recovering had been the worst part. 

When that had been interrupted by Percy's abrupt disappearance, Annabeth had been forced to face the terrors herself. She'd been huddled in her cabin for a long time, alone, refusing help from anyone. 

It had taken time, but after a whole lot of pain, she'd accepted Will's offer of a therapist, someone she could talk to. Annabeth had been wary about sharing so much about herself at first, but, worn thin and exhausted, everything had kind of just, come out. 

Everything about Percy cheating on her and how his disappearance had left her alone. Annabeth was even forced to admit to herself that they were better apart when healing from Tartarus. 

And now, as she looked at Percy, Annabeth wondered how he had ever gotten that hellhole out of his head. She'd been the reason for his falling in the first time, and the second time, he'd done it for her again. 

Annabeth didn't know what to think of that. Some part of her brain told her that just friends didn't do all that. 

"Demigods," a soothing voice echoed from deeper down in the cave. 

Annabeth felt herself jump in surprise. If she squinted into the darkness, she could just make out the silhouette of a shorter woman. Hazel's close presence was a comfort in knowing that she wasn't alone. 

As she neared the woman, Annabeth quickly realised that there were six of them in total. Her mind started to churn out old stories about he Titan sisters. Themis, Tethys, Phoebe, Rhea, Theia, and Mnemosyne. The sisters and wives — kind of gross — of the Titan brothers. 

Annabeth exchanged a wary look with Percy, hoping that they wouldn't hold it against them for killing quite a few of their husbands. 

Phoebe — Annabeth guessed from the writhing snakes on her chiton — seemed to catch their furtive glances because she waved a hand dismissively. "Water under the bridge," she assured them. "Honestly, we're quite glad that you took care of them. Our brothers can be fairly temperamental, and when they throw tantrums — oh, you have no idea." 

Annabeth blinked. She hadn't expected the sisters to be so...friendly. Usually, the majority of entities they encountered were pretty set on killing them. 

"My lady," Hazel said to Mnemosyne. She slipped the first ring off her finger, the others following suit. "We have your rings, as asked." 

Mnemosyne's eyes widened, which told Annabeth that she'd never really believed they would do it. She gasped with delight, rushing forward and plucking the rings out of their open palms. 

Annabeth watched closely as the Titan slid the rings onto each of her fingers on her right hand, flexing her fingers experimentally. 

"I have to say," Mnemosyne mused. "Very impressive."

Annabeth cleared her throat, throwing a glance at Leo, who nodded subtly. "Please, my lady, your end of the deal?" 

Mnemosyne seemed to be recalling the events of their last meeting. "Oh!" She slapped a hand to her forehead. "Of course!" 

A crack reverberated around the cave as Mnemosyne snapped her fingers. As a blinding white light was suddenly thrown off of her, Annabeth's hand flew up to shield her eyes. 

When the light faded, a wicked blade sat in Mnemosyne's hand. 

Annabeth recognised it almost instantly, inhaling sharply. 

"Backbiter," she gasped. 

Luke's sword. Annabeth almost felt like she was back in Agatha, fighting him off and forced to kill him. Or when she was 16, and he'd sacrificed himself to save them. In the end, he really was a hero. 

"That's Luke's sword," Percy voiced suddenly, clearly along the same train of thought as her. 

Annabeth reached out and tentatively grasped the hilt, pulling the sword out of its sheath. 

Kronos' scythe remade. 

She recalled what Percy had told her about the uniqueness of Luke's sword; half iron and half celestial bronze. Capable of killing both mortals and demigods alike. 

The way it'd been crafted, the scythe could suck out a piece of your soul if it touched you. Percy had felt it, first-hand, and he'd told her how his limbs had instantly turned to jelly even with the smallest cut. 

"Thank you." Annabeth's voice was barely over a whisper as she sheathed the sword again, ignoring the ghosts of her past. 

A strange feeling of being watched ran over her. Annabeth glanced up to see Mnemosyne's gaze focused on her, her mind running at high speed. 

"My lady?" Annabeth asked in confusion. 

Mnemosyne's hand reached out, as if to hold her face. "Falsified," she murmured. "A hoax. Very clever of you, Apate." 

Annabeth felt her stomach churn at the amen. "Apate?" 

It was like the spell had broken. Mnemosyne took a step back, her hand falling back to her dress. "I cannot say," she said softly. 

Annabeth wanted to demand answers, but she clenched a fist and forced herself to continue on with their plan. Her hand reached into her pocket and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper. 

"This is a map we found in—" The world caught in her throat. Annabeth swallowed. "It's a map to Thalassa. She has the spell the prophecy's speaks of. I was hoping you could interpret it for us." 

Mnemosyne took the piece of paper into her hands. "Auntie Thalassa's in Atlantis. Chained by her monstrous husband." 

"Great, so all we have to find is a long-lost submerged city?" Percy said, deadpan. 

Annabeth shot him a glare. 

"No, no, the myth is old," Mnemosyne admitted. "But not false. It refers to the kingdom of the sea god. Not sunken, but always underwater." 

Annabeth glanced back at Percy, who was frowning. "Poseidon's old castle." 

"That's at the bottom of Santorini Bay," Percy remembered. 

Mnemosyne handed the map back to Annabeth. "See, you barely needed my help." She winked at the daughter of Athena. 

"We can get there by morning," Leo said abruptly. He must've been doing the calculations in his head. His intelligence always took Annabeth by surprise. 

"Thank you," Annabeth told the Titans again. "For all your help. I hope we can save the camp with this." 

Tetyhs and Theia exchanged glances. "Camp?" Theia asked curiously. 

"Pontus and Tartarus are planning an attack," Frank said with a nod. "August 18th. We have to find the spell and get back before that." 

Annabeth glanced from Titan to Titan. They seemed to be communicating with just their looks, questioning gazes thrown from sister to sister. 

"We should go now," she blurted out. She didn't want the Titans to change their minds and send them on another endless quest. They were running out of time. 

Mnemosyne waved a hand dismissively, her head turned to face her sisters as they continued a discussion in low tones out of Annabeth's earshot. 

"Do we just..." Percy mimed walking out of he cave. 

Leo shrugged. "I mean, I guess so." 

Annabeth followed her friends as they traipsed out of the cave, gripping the scythe so tightly she thought her nails might break. 

All they needed now was the spell. Her energy and hope were renewed from the day's events; they might actually have a chance at this.


	33. The Dream

That night, Percy had his first dream in five years. Maybe it was to do with the fact that, according to Mnemosyne, they now had a chance to beat Pontus. They're quest wasn't completely hopeless. 

Maybe it was because he fell asleep curled around Annabeth's form. Since he'd promised her that they'd talk later, they'd returned to her room. Annabeth finally relented and agreed that her powers were unnecessarily dangerous and uncharted territory, which led them or pore over old books about Athena and her children. 

There was little mention of any other demigods having similar powers, but Annabeth insisted that she wasn't the only one, relaying her dream to him. Percy assumed he'd fallen asleep next to her — definitely from boredom and a massive dyslexia headache. 

But anyway, it didn't matter why, because Percy dreamt that night. 

"Percy," someone was calling his name. 

Percy blinked rapidly. It was weird, since most dreams were just visions, but this time, Percy could look down and see his body. The world around him slowly shifted, making him wince as everything around him focused and unfocused repeatedly. 

"Percy." 

There it was again. The voice was achingly familiar, but Percy couldn't place it no matter how hard he wracked his brain. 

And then everything snapped into focus. The world sharpened and Percy found himself sitting on the floor in front of a tall man. As his gaze raked over the invaders of his dreams, Percy started to feel a memory tingle in the back of his mind. 

A trident, wavy brown hair, green eyes and a Mediterranean complexion. 

"Dad," Percy realised with a start. 

"Percy," Poseidon exhaled with relief, rushing forward and wrapping his arms around his son. "By Hades, I thought I'd never see you again." 

Percy was frozen in place, unable to move his limbs as his father embraced him so tightly he was afraid he'd choke. He began to relax as he began to realise that this was his father. His father was here. 

"Dad," Percy choked out. "Can't—breathe." 

Poseidon released him reluctantly with an embarrassed expression. "Sorry, it's just, I haven't been able to reach you for five years." His face darkened and his eyes began to resemble the ocean on a stormy day. 

"We haven't heard from any of the gods in—" Percy ran a hand through his hair frustratedly. "Well, in five years." 

"You think I've wanted to stay away?" Poseidon demanded. He ground his teeth with a scowl. "I've been trapped here, under the sea bed with no contact with anyone. No gods, no demigods." 

"Pontus," Percy reasoned. He groaned and a slapped a hand to his forehead. "Of course, he'd get rid of the Olympians first. How did we not think of that?" 

Poseidon patted him on the shoulder sympathetically. 

"Why now?" Percy asked. "How can you reach me now?" 

Uncertainty washed over his features. "I'm not sure," his father said slowly. "But Kronos' presence is near you. I've formed a weak connection to you, but it'll break once Pontus realises I've made contact with you." 

"The scythe," Percy realised. "You're connecting with me through your father?" 

Poseidon nodded with a frown. "He does come in handy sometimes." Even in a billion small pieces, was the unspoken continuation that made Percy grin. 

"We're visiting your old palace tomorrow," Percy informed him as he scanned the room they were in. There were smouldering black marks on the stone walls of the circular room, evidence of where his father had tried to blast his way out. "Any tips?" 

Poseidon reached out and opened a palm, revealing six sparkling pearls in his hand. "You recognise them from your first quest?" When Percy nodded, he continued, "They won't last forever, but it'll give you enough time underwater to rescue Thalassa. She isn't known to interact with demigods, but if you free her, she might give you the spell." 

He paused. "Percy, do you know what the spell does?" 

Percy fell silent. "It kills Tartarus?" 

Poseidon chuckled. "No. That's the end result. The spell calls on the spirit of Ouranos to whoever shall host him." 

"Host him?" Percy said incredulously. "Like, in their body?" 

Poseidon nodded grimly. "Like how Luke hosted Kronos." He sighed. "Except that Ouranos is an age-old primordial. Probably the most powerful being in the world besides Gaia and Chaos." 

"Didn't Kronos kill him?" Percy questioned. He tried to think about how these were his grandparents and great-grandparents. It was just too weird for him to comprehend. 

"His mortal form," Poseidon corrected. "His mind and spirit still lingers — that's why we have the sky." 

Percy was pretty sure that the sky was supposed to be an image of the atmosphere and space, but he wasn't going to say that out loud. "So whoever takes on the spell, takes on his spirit." 

Poseidon nodded again with a solemn face. "Yeah, it would kill any demigod who tried to do so." 

Percy felt his heart. They'd come so far, gone through Tartarus, for gods' sake. And now he found out that one of them would have to die to go through with the plan. 

"Except," Poseidon added. 

Percy's head snapped to look at his father. 

"Luke Castellan," Poseidon repeated. "If I remember correctly, hosted Kronos, didn't he?" 

"He died, Dad," Percy said shortly. "I don't think any of us plan on doing that." 

Poseidon shook his head. "That's not what I'm—" 

A crackling reverberated in Percy's ears, making him flinch. The image around him shook, threatening to disappear. 

"Dad!" Percy yelled, spinning around as he searched for his father. 

"Percy!" The image refocused for a few seconds, enough for Poseidon to thrust the pearls into Percy's left hand and for Percy to catch a glimpse of his worried face. "Save us," he whispered, moments before everything disappeared. 

Percy looked on in horror. "Dad! No! Come back!" Darkness surrounded him, wrapping him in a cocoon of nothingness. 

His eyes shut abruptly. It's a dream, Percy repeated to himself. You're out of Tartarus. This isn't that. You're asleep on the Argo II right now. None of this is real. 

As Percy prepared to wake up, he was surprised by an image forming around him. An old memory, he assumed, from the looks of his surroundings. 

Without a doubt, it was Olympus. He recognised one of Artemis' temples from before the second Titan War. 

Athena and Hephaestus walked along a stone path that weaved through a garden, conversing quietly. Their clothes were older than what Percy had seen last seen them in, so he assumed this was from the past. 

"Another one is dead," Athena said gravely. "Killed by their own powers." 

Hephaestus sighed. "Is there no way to help them? This is the third one already." 

Athena closed her eyes and clasped her hands together. "I'm afraid not," she whispered. "Once their minds grow too strong for their bodies, it destroys them." 

"And the powers?" Hephaestus asked. 

"Only for a short time," she returned darkly. "Once the powers appear, it's only a matter of weeks before my children die." 

Powers? Percy wanted to step in and demand what she was talking about. Her dead children, clearly. Killed by their own powers and minds. Could that be what Annabeth was experiencing? 

Was she in danger of killing herself too? 

The image shifted once more, and Percy found himself in a volcano. It was sweltering and beads of sweat dropped down his temple. Percy looked down. His body was there again.

"Perseus," someone said hurriedly. 

Percy glanced up and was astonished to see Athena and Hephaestus racing towards him. Her face was set with determination as she hiked up her skirts and sprinted. 

"Three gods in one dream," Percy said in disbelief. "This had to be some kind of record." 

Surprisingly, Athena didn't vaporise him on the spot. Percy wasn't dating Annabeth anymore, she technically didn't have any obligation not to do so. 

"Three gods?" Athena demanded fiercely. "Who else have you spoken to?" 

"My dad," Percy explained. "He's been trapped under the sea." 

Hephaestus exchanged a look with the goddess. "It isn't just us, then," he said with a frown. 

"Pontus separated you and trapped you all over the world," Percy reasoned. "You could be anywhere right now." 

Athena shook her head. "No, we're close to you. It's the only reason I've been able to reach you. We haven't had any contact with the outside world in years. But I could sense your presence today — you're near." 

"We can't get out of here," Hephaestus told him. "I've built everything I can think of." 

"Someone has to break us out from the outside," Athena rushed. "We don't have much time. Pontus has reinforced the walls. Just reaching you in your dream had been more difficult than I anticipated." 

Percy noticed the strain evident in her features as she took deep breaths. 

Percy stares at her. "The vision earlier, was that you?"

Athena pursed her lips. "Yes." 

"So you know that Annabeth can control things with her mind?" Percy said warily. 

"Telekinesis," Athena said with regret. "Believe me, she can do a lot more than that. She hasn't discovered it yet."

"She'll die," Percy cried. "How do I stop it?" 

"You can't!" Athena said angrily. "No one can! I don't have any control over it! It's her mind and her mind alone." She sighed and pushed her hair away from her face impatiently. "Listen, you have to take care of her." 

"We're not together anymore," Percy told her. 

"Perseus, promise me!" 

"Fine!" Percy gritted his teeth. "Of course, I will. She's my friend." 

A tense silence fell between them. 

Athena swallowed. "I know about your split. I can sense your feelings in a dream. And—I'm sorry." 

Percy snorted. "You hate me. You hated us together." 

Athena looked away for a moment. "Maybe I was wrong," she said between clenched teeth. 

Percy felt a noise of disbelief bubble up in the back of his throat. "What?" 

This time she really did glare at him like she would vaporise him. Percy took a step back and raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry, sorry. My bad. I'll take it." 

"You're arriving soon," Athena told him. "You need to go." 

Percy felt his body start to float away, like the two gods were getting further and further away. 

"You need to save us," Athena said firmly. "It's the only way you'll win this war." 

Percy opened his mouth to ask her how ont she told he was supposed to find her in the middle of a volcano, but everything disappeared again and he was back on the Argo II. 

Not a second after he jolted awake, a piercing bell broke into the peaceful quiet. There was a soft groan from his left that nearly scared Percy out of his skin until he looked down and realised it was Annabeth. 

"What?" she slurred sleepily as she shuffled into a sitting positions. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of Percy huddled right next to her under the same blanket. "P-Percy!" 

"We fell asleep," he yelped, blushing furiously. Gesturing to the pile of books, Percy scratched the back of his neck with embarrassment. "Um, we read the whole night. I guess I fell asleep. Sorry." 

Her chest started to move at a normal pace as Annabeth exhaled more calmly. "No, it's fine. Just gave me a shock," she said with a strained laugh. 

"I think we're here," Percy said, desperate to change the subject. He slid off the side of her bed. "I'll, uh, leave you to get ready." 

Annabeth flushed a dark red. "Right. See you later?" It came out in a hopeful tone. 

Percy grinned tentatively. "Yeah. Bye." He hurtled out of Annabeth's room and flung himself through his door, collapsing on his bed with his eyes closed. 

They hadn't slept in the same bed since they were dating — for obvious reasons. But that was probably one of the best sleeps he'd had in a while. 

<<< >>>

"Santorini is the very rim of a sunken supervolcano," Annabeth read out. "It's famous for the amazing view of the caldera, blue waters and red beaches." She closed Frank's guide to the Greek islands and handed it back to him. "So that's basically—"

"Did you say supervolcano?" Percy interrupted with a start, his eyes widening. 

Annabeth frowned at him. "Yeah, it sunk after an eruption, but its continued to grow anyway." She was glad he'd given her time to have a quick shower and change into a new set of clothes.

Percy shook his head. "Athena and Hephaestus are inside." 

There was a pause after his words where Annabeth cocked her head with confusion. 

"I'm sorry, they're inside," Leo said slowly and with incredulity. "The volcano?" 

Percy sighed impatiently. "No, I had a dream last night. I spoke to them." 

"You spoke to my mother?" Annabeth demanded at the same time that Leo snorted, "My dad?" 

Percy nodded enthusiastically. "And my dad." He pulled his hand out of his pocket and displayed six green pearls. 

Annabeth recognised them from their quest to find Zeus' lightning bolt. "Are we planning to get out of the Underworld?" she asked sarcastically. 

"They're different pearls," Percy told her, rolling his eyes. "They'll let you breathe underwater until we find Thalassa." The pearls were passed around the table, each demigod inspecting it with equal wariness and interest. "Athena said that she could only reach me because we were close by. It's the only explanation." 

Annabeth was stunned beyond belief. Percy didn't act like it often, but he was actually really smart. And she chided herself for forgetting that. 

A few minutes later, the seven demigods were standing on the ship's plank, ready to dive off.

"And it's safe?" Frank said uncertainly as peered over the edge. 

"I can't feel anything other than fish until we get closer," Percy told him. "It should be fine." He couldn't help the wild grin that was spread from ear to ear. Annabeth couldn't help but think how it made him look so much younger. The smile reminded her of them at 12 years old. 

"And we're absolutely sure that Jasper will be safe," Jason asked again. 

"Festus is the best babysitter," Leo insisted. He pulled out a device from his tool belt. "This is the monitor if you need, so you can hear anything that happens on board. I've waterproofed it for today."

Piper smiled. "I trust you, Leo. If you made Festus, then I trust him too." She shrugged. "Besides, that dragon had saved my life too many times." 

Jason glanced back at the stairs going down. Jasper was in his crib, slumbering peacefully with Festus keeping guard. They needed all the manpower they could muster for this. 

"Okay, I'll go over the plan one more time," Annabeth announced. "Percy goes first. Everyone crush their pearls at the same time, and we follow after him in this order; Jason, Hazel, Leo, me, Piper, and then Frank. Frank, you'll be a shark to watch our backs, but use the pearl anyway for when you need to morph back." 

She continued, "When we reach the castle — with Percy's directions — we split up into boys and girls. We'll search for Thalassa while the boys find the volcano and rescue Athena and Hephaestus. Remember the plan," she added. "I don't know how easy it'll be to communicate down there, so we'll all need to be on the same page." 

Leo flashed her a thumbs-up. "Got it, Cap." 

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "What happened to Captain McShizzle?"

"Oh, I am the ship captain," Leo assured her with a laugh. "But you're definitely the Captain America of our team." 

Hazel giggled. "Doesn't he give a pep talk before a mission?" 

Annabeth paused for a moment to think. 

"Blow shit up and don't die." 

Percy cheered as he dove off the plank and landed in the water with a cannonball, sea spray exploding everywhere. 

The others crushed the pearls in their hands and followed as according to the aforementioned order. When Annabeth plummeted into the water below, it took all her strength to breathe normally. 

Surprisingly, air rushed into her lungs. She opened her eyes and found herself to be dry despite being in the Aegean sea. 

Leo was swimming around to face her. "This is so weird." He reached out a hand and a flame appeared in his palm. In the middle of the sea. 

Even Annabeth marvelled at the technical impossibility of the situation. Poseidon's powers really were a sight to behold. 

"I need to go deeper," Percy called back to his friends. Annabeth found that his voice sounded the same, but like it was echoing from faraway. 

She promptly started to freestyle swim her way towards Leo, who was their only source of light at the moment. Throwing a glance over her shoulder, Annabeth saw Piper draw out Katoptris, using the glowing electoral bronze to cast some light in front of her. 

As they continued deeper, Annabeth felt her ears pop with the change in pressure, but her head didn't implode — which it should've, considering the depth they were at. 

Somewhere in front of her, Jason spoke, "It's pitch black. I can't see a thing." Annabeth was still swimming alongside Leo, who was peering into the darkness. 

"Um, I can try something?" Leo said into the blackness. He drew back his hand and thrust it forward, a movement Annabeth recognised as him throwing a fireball. The moment the fireball left his fingers, it was extinguished by the seawater. 

There was a silence where Annabeth started to snicker. "That was helpful." 

"Shut up," Leo complained. 

Jason drew his coin out of his pocket and flipped it once — into a spatha. The weapon provided a dim glow, illuminating Jason six feet away from Annabeth and Leo. 

Further in front of him was Percy, who was descending rapidly, Riptide out as he willed the currents to aid him. 

"How much further?" came Piper's voice. She was starting to tire, Annabeth could tell. Two days wasn't much for someone to recover from giving birth, even with godly ambrosia and nectar. 

"Percy?" Jason called. "Did you hear her?" 

Annabeth kicked her feet more quickly as she pushed against the water with her hands. Angling downwards, she swiftly overtook Jason and continued towards the illumination of Percy's sword. 

"This is it." 

She found Percy staring at the sea bed — they were almost 400m from the surface. Dead coral was scattered across the surface, and that was only the two feet that Annabeth could see. 

She landed feet first on the sea bed, wobbling slightly as she tried to get used to standing in water. Annabeth tried very hard not to think about how deep down they were, and that if the pearl was to wear off anytime soon, she would mostly likely drown before anyone could do anything. 

"Look," Percy told her, pointing Riptide forward. Annabeth walked forward, holding out her dagger for light. Leo was next to arrive, and his flames jumped as he tried to light up their surroundings. 

"Okay, guys, not to freak you out but I think I just saw a barracuda," Leo voiced, his tone clipped to hide his jitters. "Like, okay, I get why Nemo was scared." 

Annabeth's gaze raked over the ruins that could be nothing other than Poseidon's old castle. The entrance archway was massive, but there were no lights in the castle. 

"It was destroyed by Oceanus in the second Titan War," Percy reminded her. "When my dad came to help us defeat Typhon." 

Annabeth shuddered at the memory. "I remember that." 

"This is the palace?" Frank asked as he transformed into a human. The rest of Annabeth's friends were behind her, waiting for her instruction. 

"Yeah," she breathed. "This is it."


	34. Go Out With A Bang

It was difficult to run in water, Annabeth quickly realised. Percy, of course, propelled himself into the entrance hall and was the first person inside the castle. She could see him waiting impatiently as she tried her best to swim towards him. 

"Oh, come on," he muttered impatiently as he reached out his arms. Almost immediately, the six demigods were pulled by water currents towards him until they were inside the entrance hall too. 

The next step was to split up and start searching. Hazel and Piper were waiting for Annabeth by the staircase, while the boys started to figure out the quickest route into the volcano. The gentle slope of its base was right of the castle's ruins. 

Right before he left to join the others, Percy lagged behind, turning back to look at Annabeth. 

"Your mum showed me something," he said quietly, making sure no one else could hear them. "She said your powers aren't the first among her children. But they all died. They're minds got too strong for them and it killed them." Percy seemed to have a hard time getting the words, unable to look her in the eye. "Look," he paused. "Just don't die." 

Annabeth swallowed. "I'll try." She couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't use her powers. 

"You said your fatal flaw was that hummus thing—"

"Hubris," Annabeth corrected with an eye-roll. 

Percy pulled a face. "Yeah, anyway, I know you'll try use them because you think you can handle it." 

"What if I can?" she demanded. "Maybe I'm the first." 

"But what if you're not?" Percy exploded. He took a deep breath. "What if this kills you? I won't ever forgive myself knowing that I could've done something." 

Annabeth slid her dagger into her belt loop as she stepped away from him. "I can handle it," she repeated firmly, daring him to argue. 

Percy's expression softened, not in defeat but knowing that she was stubborn as a rock. "Be careful," he managed, propelling himself to Jason's side. 

Annabeth allowed herself two more seconds to gaze at his retreating silhouette before she exhaled deeply and returned to her friends. 

"Intense," Piper remarked, her eyes following the boys as they left the castle. 

"What is going on with you two?" Hazel asked curiously. 

He cheated on me, Annabeth wanted to say. But that wasn't fair, no. Hazel and Piper were his friends too, she'd only cast him in a bad light. 

"We had issues," she said vaguely. "Being a couple didn't work for us." 

Piper looked like she wanted to argue. Annabeth knew that she thought she and Percy were meant to be — which said a lot, because Piper didn't usually believe in that crap. "Mhm, she just said. 

"Well, it's annoying me," Hazel said exasperatedly. "There's all this unresolved sexual tension between you—"

Annabeth choked on her air (water?). "Hazel!" 

Hazel threw her hands in the air with a snort. "Oh, come on! I'm not a kid anymore, we can stop pretending I'm oblivious and innocent."

Piper gave her a pointed look. 

"Okay, so maybe I am a little," Hazel admitted. "But I'm not blind!" she added. "Anyone with eyes — hell, anyone with a brain — can see that you two are just—" Hazel proceeded to perform a series of complicated hand gestures. 

Piper wrinkled her nose. "What the hell was that supposed to be?" 

"Them!" Hazel exclaimed frustratedly. "I don't know how to put it!" She frowned. "This is exactly how Grover said it was like before you two even got together." 

"Okay, okay," Annabeth cut in. "We'll discuss this in depth later — and I'm going to kill Grover for that. Let's just find Thalassa first." 

Hazel sighed. "Fine. Come on, I think Percy said he sensed something this way." She gestured to the stairwell leading upstairs. 

Annabeth was uncomfortably reminded of Agatha and running through the castle to find her friends. She led the way this time, dagger in hand as she slowly made her way up. 

The corridors and rooms of the second floor were empty. They found disintegrating bodies of dead mermen and mermaids from the war, and old mosaics hung on the walls. Annabeth was pretty sure they would've been coated with layers of dust if this was on land. 

"Wait, I think there's something here," Piper called out. 

Annabeth floated to her friend, peering into the room she'd pointed out. The two large doors were decorated and glazed with gold, leading into a massive circular room with marble floors and two thrones situated in the centre of the room. 

"It's the throne room," Annabeth realised with a start. She followed Piper inside and saw the lit candle on the mantle. Not just anybody could light fire underwater, and that must been what caught Piper's attention. 

"I don't like this," Hazel said nervously. "There's something off about this place." The daughter of Pluto frowned. "It isn't right." 

Almost unconsciously, Annabeth flexed her wrist and the door slammed shut behind them. Piper and Hazel jumped at the sound. "What was that?" Piper asked, an undertone of uncertainty in her voice. 

"Probably just the currents," Annabeth covered up lamely. Her mind was too focused on the two thrones. They were completely different from Poseidon's welcoming throne on Olympus. These were made of gold and reflected the glow of her dagger. 

"No, no, something's definitely wrong," Hazel repeated. 

"Hazel," Annabeth said impatiently as she turned around to comfort her friend. "It's—" Her words trailed off into silence as the image of the two thrones rippled. 

Hazel was tearing off the layers of Mist obscuring their vision to reveal not two, but one throne. Annabeth's gaze flickered to where the rubble of the second throne was lying on the floor. 

A man with a curling sneer sat on the throne. His white beard curled to his chest and his hair flowed freely in the water. With eyes resembling the deepest part of the ocean, crab pincers protruding from his head like horns and a lengthy tail instead of legs, Annabeth knew exactly who she was looking at. 

"Pontus," she snarled, almost animalistic. 

The primordial shifted to sit in his throne. "What do we have here?" he mused. "Visitors for the primordial of the sea? Aristide could always use a snack." 

As she eyed the serpent curled around his arm warily, Annabeth shifted her focus back to the mermaid at his feet. 

It was the woman from her dream. Same teal hair and blue eyes. Except those eyes were now filled with fury and determination. 

Thalassa growled. "I'm the primordial of the sea, you bastard. You merely married in." Her wrists were chained to the ground with the same golden manacles from Annabeth's dream. 

Burns and raw blisters formed on Thalassa's skin where the cuffs touched it, making her wince when Pontus yanked the chains towards him with a cruel smile. 

"Let her go," Piper ordered, charmspeak in every syllable. 

Pontus gave her anothertwisted sneer. "Your powers won't work on me. I'm too powerful for your demigod tricks." 

Annabeth clenched her fists. "Really?" she challenged as she forced the chains out of his hands. They struck him across the face before pooling onto the ground in a golden pile. 

She ignored Piper and Hazel's gasps and pale faces. Pontus reaches up slowly and placed two fingers on the red mark on his cheek. 

"You're one of them," Pontus chuckled lowly. "The special children of Athena." His features twisted into an amused expression. "Tell me, do you know how much longer you have?" 

"Long enough to kill you." Annabeth was glad that her voice rang out with much more confidence than she actually felt. 

"You know," Pontus mused. "You could be a real asset to me. You're stronger than others I've seen. Your mother only wishes to contain your power. She's afraid of you." He eyed Annabeth in a way that made her skin crawl. "Understandably."

"Trying to recruit you enemies?" Annabeth snorted. "That's old, even for you." She glanced at Thalassa's chains, wondering how long it would take her to unlock the cuffs. The key they'd recovered in Tartarus felt like it weighed a ton in her pocket. 

Pontus shrugged nonchalantly. "Worth a try." He frowned at the demigods. "I know you think you can awaken Ouranos. It's not going to work. He's slumbered for millennia — far, far longer than Gaia ever did. It'll take more than a nosebleed to wake him up." 

"We'll do it anyway," Piper said confidently. "We're known for accomplishing lots of impossible things." 

Annabeth analysed her friends' stances; they were poised for immediate combat. 

"No one can host a primordial and live to tell the tale," Pontus reminded them with a cold smile. "Unless you're willing to sacrifice one of your team." 

Annabeth felt something cold settle in the bottom of her stomach. One of her friends dying — no, that wouldn't happen. 

"You won't win," Hazel told him obstinately. "You know that, right? Bad guys never win." 

"Maybe in a world with the Olympians," Pontus snarled. "I've lived under their rule long enough to know that it needs to be torn down. Tartarus and I will rebuild the world better than it's ever been." He cocked his head to the side. "And you, demigods, are in my way." 

^^^^^

Percy eyed the boulder. "Help me move it." 

Frank turned into a hammerhead shark and pushed his head against the large rock, applying more force onto it. Jason, Percy and Leo pulled with the most strength they could muster. 

He could sense a hollow space behind the boulder. No water. 

The boulder moved to reveal a small opening, just big enough for each of them to crawl through. Percy clenched his jaw as he forced the water away from the hole. 

"Quick," he panted. "Before it floods." 

Leo was first, being the smallest one. He easily shimmied through the opening and disappeared from sight. "I'm inside," he called back, letting Percy sigh in relief. 

Jason followed, his shoulders just about squeezing between the rocks. Frank transformed into a snake and slithered through the gap, leaving Percy to follow suit. 

Maintaining control over the water, Percy tried to keep his breathing level as he crawled through the space, bruising his right shoulder along the way. 

Frank has transformed into a bear and was waiting at the ready with another boulder in his arms. When Percy had rolled out of the way, Frank deposited the boulder in front of the opening with a deafening thud that shook the ground beneath their feet. 

Scanning his surroundings, Percy quickly realised they were inside the volcano. He doubted any mortals had been inside before, considering all the powers they'd had to use to even open the space. 

"Gods," Percy said breathlessly as the sweltering heat hit him. The air was so dry it actually reminded him of Tartarus. 

"It probably won't erupt right," Leo asked meekly, peering over the edge.

Newly-human Frank shook his head. "Last eruption was in the 1950s." 

"Comforting," Leo muttered. 

The platform they were standing on was like a donut. The circular part led upwards in a spiral, following the walls of the volcano. Through the centre was gallons upon gallons of smouldering lava, shifting and sparking every few seconds. 

One small slip and Percy would be a roasted demigod. He glanced back to see that Frank was practically plastered against the wall of the volcano, his face pale at the sight of so much lava. 

"I thought you weren't scared of fire anymore," Leo nudged him in the side. 

Frank glowered. "Yeah, but I'm scared of super volcanoes that could potentially kill me very painfully." He patted the pocket with his firewood. 

Jason led the hike up the spiralling stone. Percy wasn't quite sure what they would find at the top. There should've been water all down the inside of the volcano, but he figured Pontus had cleared it before imprisoning Athena and Hephaestus inside. 

"Hey, don't be nervous," Percy reassured Frank. "Just, talk about something that calms you." 

"How's your proposal speech going?" Jason suggested. 

Frank swallowed. "Not well."

Leo winced. "Want to change topic?" 

Frank shook his head, unsure. "I mean, I want to do it. So much. But I just want to skip over this part and get married." 

"Don't say that in your speech," Leo said unhelpfully. He absently handed the baby monitor to Jason, who held it to his ear to check on Jasper before returning it to Leo for safekeeping. 

Percy couldn't help his heavy breathing. It was too damn hot for a hike up a volcano. He groaned as he slipped his shirt off and balled it up, stuffing it into the back pocket of his shorts. 

"Annabeth isn't here," Leo told him with a snicker, receiving a smack to the head. "Ow!" he complained. 

"Okay, this is my draft," Frank took a deep breath, preparing to recite it from memory. "Hazel, I love you. I admired you as a friend, and when we became something more, I was still amazed at everything you're capable of. You've come so far since your first life, and you've helped make me who I am today." 

He inhaled sharply and continued, "The last five years haven't been easy, but knowing that you'd always be there for me is one of the few things keeping me from going insane. I'd like to return the favour; I'll be there for you forever. Even though we're young and it's early, I promise that I'll always, always be there for you. Will you marry me?" As finished off, a silence fell over them as the other three demigods searched for the right words. 

"Oh gods, it's terrible isn't it!" Frank groaned fearfully. "I was afraid of this!" 

"No!" Leo yelped. "The speech was great! It's just..." He scratched the back of his head. 

"The delivery of it," Percy finished for him, receiving a nod of agreement from Jason. 

"It's probably because we're in a volcano," Jason offered. "But it was a little too rushed. And too..." He peeled his shirt off and sling it over his shoulder. "Structured." 

Frank looked like he was ready to throw himself into the lava. "This is going to be a disaster!" 

Leo patted him on the back. "No! Look, she's going to say yes even if you accidentally transform into a frog in the middle of it. It'll be fine." He glanced at his friends. "See, I'm dying of heat, but I don't think I should take my shirt off next to the two of you. Y'know, for my self esteem." 

Percy feigned a flirty wink. "You know it." 

Jason chuckled at Leo's words. "When do you think the wedding will be?" he asked Frank. 

Frank shrugged. "Assuming she says yes, I'd hope right after the quest. I don't want to wait too long." 

Jason came to a screeching halt, making Percy look up at him. His friend's hair was damp with sweat, but he was staring at the wall in front of them. 

"You're kidding me, right?" Leo demanded. "Come on!" 

Percy groaned internally. "Maybe I was wrong," he said frustratedly. "Maybe they're in a volcano in Australia, or something." 

"No, wait," Jason interrupted. His hardened gaze never left the door. "There's something..." He cut himself off with a gasp. "Oh my gods, it's a door." 

Percy stared at the stone wall. "I think you're hallucinating from the heat." 

"No, no," Jason rolled his eyes. "You have to look past the Mist." 

Percy squinted. It was still a stone wall to him. He tried to imagine that the wall was on a canvas — one of his mum's paintings — and that he was ripping away the false layers to reveal the true art. 

A sharp intake of breath signalled the others when Percy saw what Jason had seen. There was a gargantuan obsidian door. "It's stone from Nyx's palace," Percy realised. "I don't think we can break it." 

"Maybe not, but there's a lock," Frank pointed at the door. 

Percy glanced back at Leo, who was still trying to see past the Mist. "I still can't see anything," he said exasperatedly. 

Jason beckoned for him, placing a hand on the lock. "Look, just put your hand where mine is." Leo followed the instructions and replaced Jason's palm with his. "You might not be able to see it, but that's never really stopped you." 

Leo grinned. "Fair enough." Percy watched with interest as Leo scrutinised the lock. There was a soft clicking as the mechanisms behind the lock started to whir and spin. There was a quiet ping every time the pieces were correctly aligned. 

It only took Leo twenty-four seconds to unlock the door. There was a soft hiss as the door popped open, a handle appearing beside the lock. 

"Ah, that's the door," Leo said with understanding. The Mist must've dispelled once it was opened. He was first through the door, Jason and Frank at his heels. Percy followed closely behind. 

The room they entered was round, the walls being those of the volcano. The ceiling and floor were made of stone, probably reinforced with spells to prevent the Olympians from escaping. 

A woman with curly brown hair and a long white gown who Percy instantly recognised as Athena was standing in the middle of the landing. Her mouth fell open as she saw the four demigods enter her prison. 

Hephaestus was behind her, working at a table. He dropped his tools in surprise, the flattering sound breaking into the silence. 

"Perseus!" Athena was racing towards them, an astonished expression on her face. Percy waited for her thank them or grant them some wishes, but instead, she stopped in front of Leo and closed her eyes. "You idiots," she breathed. 

Percy gave a start. "A 'thank you' would be nice," he said truthfully. He could feel Frank's terrified look at his insolence, but he and Athena were old friends. Well, not really friends, but they kind of had an understanding. 

"You closed the door!" she yelled, slapping a palm to her forehead with a furious groan. Percy turned around to see that he'd let the door close behind them. 

"But we opened it!" Leo protested. 

Percy wanted to slap himself. Sure enough, when he experimentally pushed on the door again, it stubbornly remained shut. 

"It can only be opened from the outside," Athena hissed through gritted teeth. "You've trapped us all in here now!" She flung her arms into the air frustratedly. 

"No, no," Jason kicked the door angrily. "We can't be stuck here!" he insisted. "I have a son! Piper and the girls are out there! Pontus and Tartarus! And we have no way out!" 

Leo tried to lighten the situation with a joke. "I mean, maybe if the volcano exploded." 

There was a short pause where Percy and Athena exchanged knowing looks. 

"Wait, that's not actually possible, right?" Leo said nervously. "Right?" 

^^^^^

Leo couldn't believe that they were actually considering this as an option. He'd meant it as a joke. 

"You'll die," Athena warned Percy. "Even the son of Poseidon can't withstand pyroclastic flow." 

Leo looked around. His dad and himself could survive the magma, and Athena might be able to make it out using their powers. Percy could withstand a certain amount of heat, and Jason could fly out. But Frank wouldn't be able to get out in time. Not without risking the firewood. 

"We're not doing it," Leo said decidedly. "It's too risky." 

"Leo's right," Hephaestus said gruffly. He absent-mindedly patted out the flames in his beard. "My creations would be destroyed. Everything I've done in the last five years—"

"I don't care about that," Leo interjected sharply. "I'm talking about my friends. They'll die if we try this." There was a time when Leo thought he'd choose machines over his friends. He surprised even himself when he said that. 

Leo could feel Percy's gaze burning into his right side. 

"I can flood the chamber before the lava gets to us," Percy suggested. "That'll slow down the lava and give us enough time to get out." 

"A small window," Leo corrected, the numbers crunching in his head. If he had the speed of moving molten lava and the viscosity of the magma correct...Approximately 2.7 seconds. "A very small one." 

"We won't make it out the top," he continued. "Too far, I don't know how far away from the surface we are. The ash and lava would catch up to us." 

"We take a short cut," Jason said, pointing to the volcano walls. 

"I told you, they can't be broken except from he outside," Athena said impatiently. 

Jason nodded. "Maybe, but Percy can control the water outside the volcano. With the explosion, that should be enough power to break this open." 

Hephaestus frowned. "We'll drown in the water." 

Leo paused. "Can gods drown?" 

His dad pulled a face. "I've never tried, but I don't think a lungful of water would be great either." 

"Pray to my dad," Percy said suddenly. 

Athena blinked. "What?" 

"I have a feeling..." he explained. "He wouldn't let either of you die. Or whatever gods do when they drown." 

Athena pursed her lips. "You'd better be right about this, Perseus." 

"It's Percy," he corrected. 

Leo watched as Percy drew out Riptide and uncapped the pen. Percy glanced around at them. "Move fast," he warned. 

Frank transformed into a dragon, picking Jason and Leo up in his claws. Leo could feel his heart palpitating wildly. He had no idea of this would work. 

Bye, Calypso, he thought. Just in case. 

Percy slammed Riptide into the floor of the cavern, sending an earthquake rippling though the volcanoes foundations and the sea bed. The floor shook, making Frank the dragon stumble over, nearly dropping his friends. 

Percy reached out a hand, preparing to clear their way out. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. 

As the steam from below started to splinter the floor, Percy yanked his hand back and the walls of the volcano began to crack. 

The lava burst through the floor with enough strength to absolutely obliterate Camp Half-Blood. At the same time, Percy slammed his sword into the floor again, another earthquake cracking the volcano walls further. 

Frank hurtled into the cracks in the walls, smashing through the rock as they plummeted through the water, fiery explosions rocking the world behind them.


	35. The Olympians

Piper kept the stony mask of determination on her face. Pontus' challenging tone was meant to provoke Annabeth, and it seemed to be working. Debating whether she would have to tackle Annabeth to the ground before she started a fight they couldn't win. 

The daughter of Athena was always calculating, but ever since Percy's disappearance, she'd adopted a certain recklessness to her behaviour. As if she didn't care if she lived or died. 

Fortunately, Piper's theory wouldn't be put to the test today. She felt herself become unbalanced, teetering to the side and nearly falling into Hazel. 

"Did you feel that?" Hazel whispered. 

She did. The floor was rumbling — no, the whole room, and probably the castle too. Her eyes followed the small cracks on the wall that slowly started to spiral outwards. 

"What are you doing?" Annabeth demanded furiously, holding out her dagger threateningly. One glimpse of Pontus' worried expression and Piper immediately knew that this wasn't his doing. 

A resounding explosion rang through Piper's ears and knocked her to the floor, leaving her floating aimlessly in the water. As she scrambled to see what had caused it, Piper found a gaping hole in the cracked wall, their friends bursting through. 

"Mother!" 

Piper turned around to see Annabeth's wide eyes as she gazed at the two new companions now accompanying the four boys. The large dragon tumbled to the floor and transformed back into Frank along the way. 

A slim woman with curly brown hair to her waist and a menacing glare. She had to be Annabeth's mother — Athena, the goddess of wisdom. There was a man with a scruffy beard and overalls paddling rapidly who Piper recognised as Hephaestus. The god landed on his feet, two saws appearing in either hand.

"No!" Pontus shouted, horrified as he leapt out of his seat. "What have you done?" 

Hephaestus flashed the primordial a challenging smirk as he drew back and flung the saws at Pontus. 

For a moment, Piper's heart leapt with hope. But of course, Pontus simply snapped his fingers and disappeared from sight, the last image of him scowling angrily. The saws passed through the image and soared through the air aimlessly. 

"No!" Annabeth yelled, fury flashing in her grey eyes. The throne exploded suddenly, leaving a heap of rubble. Piper jumped in shock, whipping her head around to see what had caused it. 

Another rumble shook the castle, and Piper actually stumbled into Hazel this time. The two girls fell to the ground in a tangled heap. 

"What happened?" Annabeth demanded, whirling around. "Why's the castle shaking?" 

Piper watched in amusement as Percy blushed and winced. "Uh," he said hesitantly. "We, uh, kind of blew up a volcano." 

Annabeth's mouth opened and closed like a fish, no words. Finally, she decided on just shaking her head and turning away. Thalassa remained at the foot of a now empty throne. 

"The castle will crumble in on us if we don't get out of here," Athena said sharply. 

Frank started ushering the others out, leading the way back to the surface. Percy and the gods followed them. 

"On it," Annabeth muttered impatiently as she hurried to kneel in front of Thalassa. She pulled out a golden key from the pocket of her jeans and started to unlock the padlocks of the chains. 

Another force shook the castle, strong enough this time for a large section of the ceiling to fall towards them. Fortunately, it was suspended in the water, giving them time to race away from it. 

Thalassa's manacles fell away and she sighed in relief, struggling to her feet as she rubbed her chafed wrists. "We go. Now." 

She grabbed Annabeth by the hand and the currents shot them forward, taking Piper along with them. 

The moment they exited the castle, the entire monument crashed down behind them, sending pieces of dead coral and rubble flying into the air behind them. 

Thalassa brought them to their friends, where they stopped and turned back to look at the castle. 

When the dust settled, Piper felt her heart sink. All that was left was a pile of ruined stone. What was left of Poseidon's castle had been absolutely annihilated. 

"It's fine," came Percy's wary voice. "He, uh, he moved, anyway."

A distant roar caught Piper's attention. "The volcano?" she asked. 

Thalassa's expression was set in a grim face. "Sea monsters, under Pontus' control." She turned to face the demigods and the gods. "Everyone link hands." She slipped her hands into Annabeth and Piper's again. 

Piper didn't quite understand why, but she linked hands with Hephaestus, and it continued throughout them until everyone was connected in a line of intertwined hands. 

"Hold on," Thalassa warned. Before Piper could open her mouth to ask why, they were shooting up at top speed, hurtling through the water towards the surface. 

Piper glanced around sluggishly, the g-force preventing her from moving quickly. 

There was a muffled groan. Leo. His face was contorted in fear, and his eyes fluttered close. Piper suddenly realised that he couldn't breathe. 

"His pearl's run out!" Hazel's frantic shout seemed to came from nowhere. "We have to stop!" 

Thalassa didn't. When Piper looked down, she could see a distant sea serpent on their tail, nearing them. Her gritted teeth and tight grip signalled the effort she was using to bring them all with her. 

Piper's air was next to run out. It was like her lungs suddenly closed up. Her hair and clothes became soaked through, and she nearly inhaled straight seawater. Her rapid coughs alerted the others to her blight, and she caught nervous looks exchanged. 

She didn't want to talk and waste more of her precious oxygen. Piper closed her eyes and prayed that they'd be there soon. Her air was running out. 

There was another strangled cry. Annabeth, Piper guessed. She was the third to run out of air, and they were still in the middle of the sea. 

Piper's eyes were burning and she felt like she would explode. Her hands weren't strong enough to hold on any longer. She felt her grip weaken and the only reason she hadn't drifted away was because Thalassa and Hephaestus didn't let her. 

"Come on," Hephaestus' voice sounded so faraway. "Hold on, Piper." 

Water rushed into Piper's lungs and she suddenly realised that she was drowning. Her mind was too addled to comprehend anything else. Where were they? Why was she underwater? 

Darkness consumed her, and it was like she had sunken into a whole other world. Everything was agony. Her limbs burned with pain. 

Something else hit Piper's body. Air. Cold air. 

^^^^^

Thalassa launched all of them onto the deck of the Argo II, leaving them sprawling on the ground. 

"Piper! Leo!" Jason yelled, scrambling to his feet and stumbling over to his friends. "They're not breathing!" He stepped back, his hands on his head in disbelief. "Oh my gods, no, this isn't—no." His eyes were shining with tears. 

Percy rushed up to their side, pressing a hand to Leo's chest. He ignored his hammering heart — they'd been underwater without oxygen for so long, he didn't know... 

The sea water spurted out of Leo's mouth and onto the deck as he bolted into a sitting position in a fit of coughs. Percy shifted over and did the same to Piper. 

Jason collapsed to his knees beside her, his face buried in his hands. "Oh my gods," Percy heard him whisper. 

Annabeth was still coughing up the water she'd swallowed, but she'd had mostly enough air to last her to the surface. 

"You okay," he asked as he studied her. 

The throne had so suddenly exploded. It had been her, Percy knew. In a fit of anger. She probably hadn't even realised it. 

Percy reached out and touched her arm, drying her off instantaneously. "Thanks," Annabeth said distractedly. He followed her gaze to see her looking at her mother, who was sitting by the railing and gazing out at the horizon. 

They were zipping along the water — Thalassa has taken control of the boat temporarily to get them away from the sea monsters. 

"Maybe we should have a conference," Leo suggested. His face was pale from his near brush with death. Percy tapped him and Piper on the shoulders and dried them off too. 

The dining table wasn't big enough for all ten of them, so the living room and the couches were chosen instead. 

"Thank you for freeing me," Thalassa told them gratefully. Percy was near stunned — the god didn't usually thank them. "I believe you're looking for something?" 

They all watched closely as a piece of paper materialised in her hand. She gave it to Percy, who stared at the words. 

"This is it," he breathed. "The spell to awaken—"

"Ouranos," Thalasssa confirmed with a nod. "Hecate was the one who created it. Millenia ago. But it was confiscated — for everyone's safety. Summoning and hosting a primordial can be...dangerous." It sounded like 'dangerous' was a huge understatement. 

She clasped her hands together. "I'm done here. Thank you, again. I wish you luck with this ambitious quest." Percy tried to think about how her look told her how sorry she was that they were going to die trying. 

Percy averted his eyes as Thalassa exploded into her supernova form and disappeared. 

"Pontus was saying how not just anyone can host a primordial." It was Annabeth, sitting on the sofa and deep in thought. 

"My dad said the same thing," Percy agreed. "But then he mentioned Luke." He shook his head. "He hosted Kronos, but Kronos was a Titan—" He cut himself off with a shuddering gasp. 

"The curse," he and Annabeth whispered in unison. 

Frank held out a hand nervously. "Hold up, what curse?" 

"The Curse of Achilles," Annabeth sighed, slumping further into her chair. She was kneading her temple, probably having a headache after exploding the throne. "Achilles' mother dipped him in the Styx when he was a baby, giving him invulnerability." 

"Kind of like his skin was made of iron," Percy said helpfully. 

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Yes, but his ankle was the only part of him that wasn't. It became his only weak spot, and when Paris shot him in the ankle, he died instantly." 

Leo blinked. "Depressing," he remarked. "What does the curse have to do with this?" 

"In the second Titan war," Percy explained. "Luke — this demigod friend of ours — he dipped himself in the Styx so he could prepare to host Kronos." 

"Wait," Hazel interrupted. "Couldn't you just cover the weak spot with armour? Everyone could be invulnerable. Would be a great advantage over Pontus." 

Annabeth exchanged glances with Percy. "It's," she hesitated. "Complicated." 

"It's called the curse of Achilles for a reason," Percy emphasised. "You get tired really easily, and often because you favour attack so much, it isn't difficult for an opponent to get in and take your weak spot." 

Percy sighed. "It's hard to explain. But the idea is that while you might be safe, your loved ones aren't." 

Annabeth bit her lip. "In the second Titan war, Percy, here, thought it would be a good idea to take on the curse himself," she said accusatorially. 

Percy flushed red. "It was a good idea. We won, didn't we?" 

Annabeth gritted her teeth. "Not the point." She turned back to the others. "One of the demigods on the other side — Ethan Nakamura — aimed for Percy's weak spot. Just by sheer luck." 

"Annabeth took the knife for me," Percy finished. "I would've died. But I didn't, at the cost of her near-death." He'd basically word her his life ever since then. 

There was a silence that fell over them all. 

"But someone has to do it," Jason said quietly. "Or we can't host Ouranos. And even then, it isn't guaranteed that whoever it is will survive." 

There wasn't even a pause. "It should be me," Percy said determinedly. He glanced to the right. Annabeth looked like she wanted to argue, but even she knew that, for once, his logic was right. 

"I'm the only one who knows what it's like to fight with it," he explained. "It's been a while, but, it isn't really something you forget." 

Piper gave him a curious look. "Do you miss it?"

Percy chewed on his lower lip. "No," he said finally. "It put people in danger. People I loved. What I do miss is skateboarding without any scratches though." 

"That's a thing?" Jason demanded. "Can I get in on this?" 

Annabeth silenced them both with a glare. 

"The nearest entrance to the Underworld is in Lerna," Athena informed them, marking a cross on Leo's map. "South of the Peloponnesus." 

"Okay, so that's settled," Leo said, grabbing the map and examining it. 

Jason frowned. "What about the other gods? We still don't know where they are." 

Athena nodded in agreement. "It worries me, knowing they could be anywhere." When she received strange looks, the goddess glowered. "We fight, but don't all families?" 

"Well, we can figure that out later," Annabeth said decidedly, standing up. "Maybe we can look for the Furies again, but I doubt they know anything about Hades' whereabouts." 

"We'll be there in a few hours," Leo told them, the map in one hand. "Anyone have any tips about the Underworld?" 

Percy glanced at him. "We probably won't die. I mean, we have Hazel. Hades' guards wouldn't kill his own daughter." 

"Probably," Leo repeated. "Great. Just great."


	36. The Underworld

Percy couldn't help but shiver as they descended into the realm of Hades. This was his third time in the Underworld, and yet, they never failed to give him the creeps. Both times before this, Percy had either nearly died, been imprisoned, or both. 

He really hoped this wasn't three for three. His gaze sidled to one of the cave walls, and an image of the wall he stared at while in captivity wreaked havoc on his mind. Percy squeezes his eyes shut, urging it out of his mind. 

His flashbacks were worsening ever since he'd returned from Tartarus. Percy didn't understand it; he'd pushed it down immensely after being rescued, why was it coming back up now?

Percy risked a look at his friends. Jason and Piper were missing from the lot; they'd remained on the Argo II to safeguard Jasper and the ship. Jason had confided about his nightmares about the Massacre, which Percy still couldn't really believe had happened. A lot of his friends had died by the sword over the years, and Percy didn't even have a chance to say goodbye. 

He truly wondered what had happened those five years he'd been gone. Percy recalled how distraught his mother and Paul had been the first timed he'd disappeared. That had been eight months, and this was five years. 

"Stop," a strong voice rang out. 

Percy turned around on the slope to see Athena halted in her tracks. Hephaestus was in a similar position, staring expectantly at her. 

"Hades and Demeter," Athena said again. "They're here. Somewhere in the Underworld."

Percy blinked multiple times in stunned silence. Four gods within 24 hours? 

"You have to rescue them," Annabeth demanded. "They won't get out otherwise." 

Athena gave her a wary look. "We are the only reason that Tartarus hasn't already attacked." 

"So we split up," Hazel suggested. "Lord Hephaestus comes with us and Lady Athena goes to find Hades and Demeter." 

Leo snorted. "Assuming they haven't killed each other already." Everyone knew Hades and Demeter never ceased their arguing. 

Percy snickered. That was usually his job; disrespecting the jobs. He was glad to know that someone else had taken up the mantle in his absence. Surprisingly, Athena shrugged and smiled faintly at the comment. "Would do us all a favour, really," she muttered as she swept her long dress behind her and stalked off in the direction of the forked tunnel. 

Percy watched as her silhouette disappeared and their surroundings visibly darkened. The only sources of light were Hephaestus' aura and their weapons. 

After what felt like an eternity, they reached the point where the Cocyctus and the other rivers merged. Percy eyed them with a certain hesitation until he spotted the one he wanted.

The Styx water was black, and this was instilling such a strong sense of deja vu in Percy that he could practically feel his old Achilles spot pulling at him. Last time, Nico had convinced him that this was the only way. Now, Percy knew it was. 

Percy stepped up to the banks of the river tentatively, capping Riptide and setting it back in his pocket. His ears pricked up as hurried footsteps sounded. 

Annabeth had come to stand beside him, surveying the scene with the same worry. 

"You don't have to do this," she said in a low voice. "We'll find another way." 

There isn't one, Percy wanted to say. He knew she'd never let it rest if she did, so instead, he amended, "It's okay." 

There was a soft whoosh in the air as a ghostly apparition formed over the river. Percy recognised him as Achilles, here to deliver his same warning. 

Achilles pulled a face once he saw who it was. "You again?" he said with a depressing sigh. "Did the Curse not hurt you enough the last time?" 

Percy swallowed down an impertinent remark. 

Achilles sighed. "Well, you know the drill." He promptly disappeared again, probably till the next person came to decide their fate. 

Annabeth frowned. "What's he talking about?" she demanded. "What dangers?" 

Percy shrugged. "Nothing," he protested. 

"If you aren't strong enough, you'll dissolve in it," Hephaestus corrected. "He could die. A painful death, I hear." 

Percy gave him a bewildered stare. "Thank you for that helpful addition." 

Annabeth glared at him. "This is a curse, Percy. If you're going to die—"

"I won't," he interrupted. They were speaking too quietly for the others to hear, but Percy threw a furtive glance over his shoulder just to make sure. "Look," he murmured. "We both know it's a curse because it endangers your loved ones. In the second Titan War, I had my mum and Paul." And you. 

Thankfully, Percy knew Annabeth heard the unspoken words because she averted her gaze. "I don't have them now," he said, his voice cracking slightly. He couldn't call them and tell them he was alive when he very well might die within the next few weeks. 

And I don't have you. Not anymore. 

"There's no one this curse can hurt," Percy finished. "That's why I'm the only one who can do it." 

"I could take it," Annabeth challenged. "I don't have anyone else either." 

Their gazes met. Percy couldn't tell her that, yes, she still had him. She would always have him. 

"I've fought with it before," he said. "It's the better option." 

Annabeth gritted her teeth but sighed in defeat. "Fine," she relented. "But if you're in danger at all, you're coming right out of there, mister. I can't have you dying right now." 

With the mood lightened, Percy tried for a grin. "What, can't live without me?" 

"The party would disrupt the quest, Seaweed Brain," she retorted. 

Percy feigned tilting a top hat and he stepped up to the very edge. He handed Riptide over to Annabeth, who held it tightly as she watched him warily. 

Taking a deep breath, Percy dipped one leg inside and entered the River Styx. 

Almost instantly, it was like Percy had fallen into an acid bath. His skin bubbled and his flesh screamed in agony, his mouth open in a silent cry. Percy's hands clenched and unclenches repeatedly, fingers desperately grasping at nothing. 

His knees buckled down under him and Percy crumpled into the Styx. The last thing he heard was Annabeth crying out his name. 

This was what it was like to drown. Or be burned alive. He wasn't sure which was which. 

What was his name again? Why was he here? What was going on? 

A deafening slashing sound broke through his mind as a whip lashed down on his back. It only added onto the pain he could feel lanced along his skin. 

There was a man with gleaming red eyes and a dreadful sneer. He smirked horribly as he stared him down. Tartarus. He knew it was Tartarus. In his stricken mind, in his hammering heart, he knew this was Tartarus. 

This was a personal demon who would torment him forever. With his whips and his horribly twisted smile of cruelty. 

Everything about Tartarus struck chords of fear in his heart. It sent ripples and shivers down his spine, and made his chest feel like an elephant was crushing it. 

He felt absolutely helpless. Like this was his terrifying fate. What had he done to deserve this? 

The whip lashed again and he flinched, stumbling backwards in a desperate attempt to get away. But he was trapped. Tartarus was here, and there was no way out. 

Tartarus chuckled lowly and pulled out his sword. "Imagine an ant thinking it can quarrel with a boot." He angled his gaze up and stared him in the eye. "That's you. You never stood a chance. Did you really think you did, sea scum?" 

Alarm bells went off in his mind. The sea. He was a son of Poseidon. He couldn't be held back; not unlike the sea. He remembered blowing up volcanoes. Conjuring hurricanes against Titans. Flooding the Labyrinth back in Tartarus. 

He remembered being Percy Jackson. 

"I don't want to be afraid of you," Percy said determinedly. Instead of his voice coming out, there was a bubbling noise. Remembering that he was in the River Styx hit Percy like a frying pan over the head. 

The mirage of Tartarus dissolved with a scowl, and a new scene formed around him. 

His limbs were still like acid, but Percy forced himself to focus through the agony. 

And all of a sudden Percy was sliding through whatever this was. He couldn't. control it and it was like going down a water slide without being able to stop. 

A dark void expanded before his eyes and Percy gulped in horror, scrabbling for anything to stop it. This isn't real, he reminded himself shakily. 

Before he could slip into the void, Percy felt something grab his right hand and he jerked back, dangling over the pit. 

As the rest of the image formed, Percy realised that he was hanging over the entrance to Tartarus. 

"I'm not letting you go!" 

Her blonde curls hung over her back as one hand held on to Percy and the other was keeping them from falling in. It was Annabeth. 

"Hold on!" she cried again. 

Percy was frozen speechless. Annabeth was still...

After all this time? 

Let me go, he tried to say. 

Obviously, she didn't hear him, but she didn't let go either. This was the same dilemma they'd been stuck in five years ago, when Percy had chosen to fall into Tartarus with Annabeth instead of letting her go. 

It had been a split second decision without hesitation. Percy would have never willingly let her go, knowing she would die when she fell. Even his own life wasn't worth that. 

Hope started to recede as Percy's hand slowly slipped from her grasp. 

"Don't you dare let go," she ordered, tears welled up in her eyes. 

I have to. 

"No, come on!" she yelled, her arm on the rock wall staining to pull them up. 

When she looked down, Percy recognised the dullness of her grey eyes as an admission of defeat. 

"There's only one way," she whispered. "Together, right?" 

In what seemed like a slow-motion movie, her fingers released the crevice that was supporting their weight and they hurtled down towards the void, bundled in a ball of warmth. 

Percy closed his eyes as he brought her into a tight embrace. Air somehow rushed up his body and rippled in his hair. 

It didn't matter, because Percy was starting to understand what was going on. 

He focused on the small of his back, opposite his navel. It was the same spot as during the second Titan War. Almost no one knew where it was and it had served useful back then. 

Percy gritted his teeth, (whatever this was) fake-Annabeth still buried in his arms. 

He could envision the spot, and a rope tying him to the riverbed, but he still needed to get back. Percy pried himself off of Annabeth; it made his heart squeeze painfully but he knew he had to do it. 

The rope was pulling him back as Annabeth slipped out of his grasp and she disappeared into the darkness. Percy closed his eyes and let it reel him back to the land of the living. 

^^^^^ 

The moment Percy crumpled into the Underworld river, Annabeth felt her stomach clench in horror. "Percy!" she yelled, sprinting forward with a hand outstretched. 

He could die. He could be in pain. Annabeth could barely think straight as her vision tunnelled with panic. 

Someone grabbed her from behind and they staggered backwards unstably. 

"Stop kicking me," Frank said gruffly. Annabeth panted as she quickly came to a stop, whirling around and shoving herself off of her friend. 

"Did you see that?" she demanded. "He fell in! He could die!" 

"If you go in, you'll die," Frank corrected. "We have to trust that he's strong enough to do this." 

Annabeth opened her mouth to argue — yes, she knew he was strong enough, but she couldn't risk it — when a low rumbling interrupted her. 

Rocks rolled down the walls as the entire cavern shook, knocking Leo off his feet and onto the floor. 

"You're kidding me," Annabeth muttered as she drew her dagger and held out a hand to keep her friends back. 

As it turned out, no, the Fates weren't done playing cruel tricks on them. 

Blocking the only exit, there was a whole legion of monsters. Some of them Annabeth couldn't even name. There were tentacles, spears, fangs, and all assortments of creatures. 

At the very head, there was a massive monster, with two Brobdingnagian legs, wide shoulders, and most noticeably, two horns and a snout. Annabeth nearly snarled as she recognised it as the Minotaur. It had always appeared when Percy was weakest, first to kidnap his mother, and later to invade Manhattan. And now, while he was busy dissolving in a river. 

The floor vibrated uncontrollably as the monsters ran towards them. Annabeth didn't know what to do. She hadn't planned for a fight. 

Glancing left and right, Annabeth quickly shouted her orders, "Leo take right and Frank take left. Hazel, fall back; use your powers — bury them. Hephaestus, you zip around to wherever needs to the most help." She gripped her knife tighter. "We can't let them get to the river." 

Surprisingly, Hephaestus didn't argue. He seemed to be okay taking orders from a demigod. Maybe those five years of captivity gave him time to think. Annabeth hoped the same went with the other Olympians. 

Annabeth charged forward with Leo and Frank on either flank and Hephaestus backing her. She clashed with the Minotaur, slashing at his thigh before sliding between his legs base-ball style and emerging on the other side. 

Before the lumbering monster could turn around, Annabeth cut him from the hips up in a vertical slice, but his chest plate stopped her dagger before she could go further. 

The monster reared back and kicked her away like a rag doll. Annabeth's vision flickered as her head slammed against the ground so strongly that she nearly blacked out. 

Scrambling dizzily to her feet, Annabeth staggered from side to side as she tried to regain her balance. The Minotaur gave her no such time. 

It attacked her once again, and Annabeth had no choice but to parry his hits before she got hit. Her vision started to refocus, but it was too late — the Minotaur promptly disarmed her and prepared to head-butt her straight to Hades. 

The strangest idea popped into Annabeth's head. She didn't have much of a choice. 

Pulling her fist back, Annabeth slammed it into the bull's jaw in an uppercut so strong she would've cracked the bone of a human. But instead of just a punch, Annabeth imagined concentrating her telekinesis on the strike. 

The sheer force from her punch sent a ripple through the Minotaur's maw, and it was thrown back with the force of a truck. 

Annabeth nearly laughed in disbelief in the middle of the battlefield. She wasn't as over-exhausted as she usually was after using her powers. 

Before the Minotaur could regain its composure, Annabeth swept its legs out from under it and used her foot to flip the dagger into the air, which she promptly caught in her right hand. 

Concentrating her powers again onto her knife, Annabeth drove the dagger in and it hit home through the Minotaur's chest. 

The monster stared confoundedly at the gaping hole in its chest. The celestial bronze had pierced straight through its chest plate. Annabeth kept the knife in place as the Minotaur burst into bronze dust, leaving behind its damaged chest plate. 

Annabeth looked around breathlessly as she caught her breath after that taxing fight. There were too few of them to stop so many monsters. Hazel looked ready to keel over from summoning so many precious metals from underground. 

She threw a glance back at the river Styx. Where was Percy? She'd read stories about people whose souls had dissolved in the River Styx because they couldn't find a tether to the mortal world. 

Riptide felt like a rock in her pocket. If Percy had died in the river, surely Riptide would've disappeared? 

As if answering her queries, the River Styx suddenly began to swirl. Annabeth's eyes widened with a stunned sort of horror. She rushed up to the river bed, but there wasn't really anything she could do. 

What was going on? 

Then, like Charybdis, the black waters spat out Percy, who was thrown onto the riverbed and left groaning. 

Annabeth was almost too shocked to do anything. His skin was a raw red and steaming rapidly. "Percy!" She knelt down next to him when she finally got ahold of herself. 

Percy slowly rolled onto his knees, panting as he struggled to stand up. Annabeth didn't know whether she was supposed to touch him, but she grabbed his hand and pulled him up anyway. 

When their hands interlocked, it was like Percy suddenly woke up. Annabeth steadied him as he stumbled forward. Something like recognition passed over the green in his eyes. 

He blinked a couple of times as if to clear his vision. "Annabeth?" 

She regarded him with concern. "Are you okay?" she demanded. "I thought you were dead!" Annabeth stopped the lecture bubbling up her throat. "You know, what? Forget it, we can do his later. We've got bigger problems right now." 

Annabeth handed him Riptide and for the first time, Percy's gaze swept over the chaos that was the battle. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he grumbled, "Honestly, should I even be surprised anymore?" 

She waited for him to leap into action. It'd been five years, but Annabeth could still remember the fighting whirlwind that he was with the Achilles curse. 

He glanced at her expectantly. "Aren't you gonna, give me orders?" 

Annabeth flushed, but she felt something warm and pleasant in her chest. It was always nice knowing that he still needed her, even with invulnerability. 

"Leo and Frank are flanking," she explained. "Avoid them when you start." 

"Start what?" 

She rolled her eyes at his feigning innocence. "Just go." 

Sure enough, Percy leaped into action. 

It was like watching a cheetah hunting gazelles. Percy was graceful and elegant as he whirled through their ranks like a demon. He wielded Riptide like it was an extension of his hand, and over a hundred monsters fell under his sword that day. 

Their friends stopped their fighting to stare at him. Even Hephaestus let out a grin. They didn't even have to help. 

Swords and spears struck Percy but never touched his skin.

Within a minute, the entire legion was obliterated. Dust was scattered across the floor and only the spoils of the battle remained. 

Annabeth blushed as Percy held up the Minotaur's stabbed chest plate with a raised eyebrow. "Didn't even leave him for me?" he called. 

"Impressive," a voice echoed around the cavern. Annabeth looked towards the sound to see three figures standing at the cavern's exit. It was her mother, a tall man with the darkest eyes she'd ever seen, and a woman with golden hair and green eyes. 

"Lord Hades, Lady Demeter," Annabeth addressed hurriedly as she walked up to Percy's side. He had never been very good at talking to gods, and it would be pretty ironic for a god to smite him moments after attaining the Curse of Achilles.


	37. Frank’s Proposal Speech

"No, cereal is the obvious choice for breakfast, why are you..." 

Annabeth groaned internally as she slumped further into the couch. Hazel, who was sitting next to her, snickered under her breath. 

Piper was getting lectured by Demeter about what she should be feeding Jasper. The goddess seemed to insist that cereal was the best form of nutrition for newborn babies, while Piper tried to explain that Jasper didn't age like immortal babies, and couldn't eat solids yet. 

Annabeth was still getting her head around the fact that Piper and Jason had a baby. She hadn't even known her friend was pregnant when she'd left for Tartarus, so coming back to see her in labour was quite the shock. 

Hades entered the conversation with Demeter, giving Piper a chance to slip away and sit down on Annabeth's other side. 

Annabeth eyed the two gods warily. Even though they'd been stuck together for five years, they still argued a whole lot. She was a little worried that, with four gods on the ship, small disagreements over breakfast or colours might result in all of them going up in flaming supernovas. 

Annabeth heard someone calling her name, and she looked up to see her mother standing by the steps and beckoning for her. Confused, Annabeth approached her mother. 

"You need to talk to me?" she voiced questioningly. 

Athena was wearing a pair of Annabeth's jeans and a t-shirt. With her hair in a ponytail, Annabeth couldn't believe how normal she looked. 

She cut right to the chase. "Perseus informed me of your newfound...powers." 

Annabeth swallowed down a sour taste. Of course, he did. She recalled the boy in her dream who'd died as a result of his powers. 

"They're dangerous," her mother warned. "They are rare amongst my demigod children, but they kill those whose physical brains are not strong enough to hold their minds." 

"Well, they haven't killed me," Annabeth reminded. "And the exhaustion I used to get is wearing off." 

"They haven't killed you yet," Athena corrected. "It starts off well, but then it deteriorates. I can't—" The goddess hesitated. "I can't watch you die. You are the one child whom I have been able to warn. Please, take heed of the others' deaths." 

"I could be the first one, mother," Annabeth insisted. "No one thought I would be able to recover your statue, but I did." She raised her eyebrows and gave her mother a pointed look. 

Athena pursed her lips. "I regret that you have inherited my stubbornness too," she sighed. "If I can't dissuade you from using them, perhaps I can teach you how to..." she hesitated. "Control them." 

Annabeth felt her eyes widen instantaneously. Her mind whirled with the possibilities. It was an added advantage to the demigods; small, but at least it was something. If she could scale up her powers — maybe with some invention — Hephaestus and Leo could help her with it —

"Don't get too ahead of yourself," Athena interrupted knowingly. Annabeth blushed lightly. "My main concern at the moment is keeping you alive. You can't save the world if you're dead, Annabeth." 

She scanned the deck, eyeing the rest of the demigods warily. "Is there anywhere on the ship where your friends wouldn't be put in imminent danger?" 

Annabeth swallowed back her disbelief. Powers, a new teacher, what was happening? 

"Uh, yeah," she managed to stammer out. "The stables, I guess? No one goes down there." Discreetly, Annabeth clenched and unclenched her hands repeatedly. She could feel the urge to use her powers already. 

"Well, I guess we have some work to do," Athena declared decisively. 

^^^^^

It's gonna be fine. This is Frank; he's your best friend and you've known him for years. 

Despite her mantra, Hazel still hesitated when she paused in front of his door. She tentatively rapped her knuckles on the door. 

"Frank?" Hazel called uncertainly. She'd meant to confront him about his distance and weirdness around her recently. It had lapsed during the quest, but returned within the last few days, and she was frustrated beyond belief. 

He wasn't telling her something, and Hazel was determined to figure it out. 

"Frank?" she echoed. No reply. Again. 

Assuming he was probably sleeping, Hazel took a deep breath and pushed the door open. 

She'd been into his room loads of times, but there was something different about it. Frank usually left it in a fairly neat state, laundry tossed in a pile to one corner and weapons hanging on the wall. 

This time, Frank seemed to have left in a hurry. His desk was scattered with stationery and papers. Blueprints, Hazel assumed, probably from Leo. 

She turned to leave, but a flash of words in the corner of her eye caught her attention. 

Slowly, the daughter of Pluto sidled up to the desk, her curiosity and confusion overcoming her reluctance. The slip of paper on the top of the pile had a scrawl of black ink. 

'Frank's Proposal Speech', it read. 

Her heart caught in her throat and the blood started to pound in her ears. Frank's Proposal Speech. An astonished gasp caught on her lips as it dawned on Hazel that that was why he'd seemed so faraway as of late. 

She nearly choked out tears of relief that that was all it was. 

Then Hazel realised that he'd meant to propose. 

"Holy Hades," Hazel murmured. "Oh, Frank." She picked up the slip of paper with trembling hands. 

The scrawl was Leo's handwriting, but Frank had written a few words beneath it in his neat script. 

'My dearest Hazel' and 'I want to ask' had been crossed out, and the only remaining words were 'I love you'. Hazel allowed herself a small smile before she set down the piece of paper. 

She didn't know what to think, really. This had taken her completely by surprise. Hazel was only 19, she hadn't expected to be engaged at such a young age. But Frank was her soulmate — she knew that much. He made her feel like they were the only people who mattered, and he'd always have her back. That was just who Frank was. 

Hazel backed away from the desk as she hurried out of the room and slammed the door behind her. Closing her eyes, Hazel took a deep shuddering breath. 

What was she going to do? Would Frank be mad at her for prying? What was she going to say to him now? 

Hazel's gaze flickered to the steps. If Leo knew about Frank's plans, chances were that the others might too. Annabeth and Piper had proved time and time again that they were people she could rely on. They were her best friends, and their advice was always helpful. 

Surely they could help her sort out the muddled mess that was her mind. 

^^^^^

"My lord?" 

The god of the Underworld turned around at the sound of Frank's voice. Hades had been sitting at the dining table in silence, staring out into the distance with sombre eyes. 

"Frank?" Hades voiced in surprise. 

Frank took a deep breath to calm himself as he approached Hazel's father. He hoped that his terror wasn't too obvious. And that Hades wouldn't smite him for this. 

The god leaned back in his seat and regarded him scrutinisingly. "To what do I owe this pleasant visit?" 

There was a short pause. "I'm going to ask your daughter to marry me," Frank blurted out. He immediately froze after the words left his mouth; he hadn't meant for it to be that blunt. 

Fortunately, Hades didn't seem to be in a smiting mood, because his feature simply clouded with confusion. "And you're telling me this, why?" 

Frank sighed. "It's traditional to ask for the father's blessing—"

Hades laughs. "My daughter can do whatever she wants." 

Frank nodded. "Exactly. But you're family, and I thought you'd like to know anyway." He shuffled his feet. "And I...I suppose I've never known whether you approved of our relationship." 

There was a scraping as Hades turned in his chair to face Frank. "I'm not like my siblings," Hades admitted. "I don't interfere with my children or who they choose to be with. That's their own choice." He shifted in his seat. "But you make Hazel the happiest I have ever seen her, and you treat her how she deserves. For that, you both have my blessing." 

Frank let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He wasn't asking for Hades' permission, but knowing that even a god thought they were a good match comforted him. This was becoming more of a reality now — if she said yes, they would get married. 

Most people seemed to find marriage terrifying. For Frank, he'd never been more sure of anything in his entire life. Hazel was the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. 

"You've been at Camp Half-Blood for the last few years," Hades said suddenly. "Right?" 

Frank gave him a cautious look, unsure as to where he was going with this. 

"The last I heard, Nico was with that Solace boy," Hades continued. 

"Will and Nico," Frank nodded. "They're still together." 

Hades gave him a faint smile. "I hoped so. They were good for each other." His face fell and a begrudging look overcame it instead. "I just wish he wasn't son of that godforsaken Apollo." 

Frank chuckled. He tilted his head to the side. "You've been quiet since we got to the ship. We do have a chance against Pontus and Tartarus, you know?" 

"Yes," Hades said, clasping his hands together. "I was thinking about Persephone." When he saw Frank's hesitance, Hades relented, "Yes, I have my dalliances with mortals, but my love for her will never falter. She is my wife, and the light of my life." He frowned. "I wish I could see her again. Five years has been far too long." 

Frank looked at the god, who was so riddled with lovesickness and desperate to find the woman he loved. If that was Hazel in the same position, Frank knew that he'd want to take off at any moment to search for her. 

"I have an idea," Frank said abruptly. "Wait here." Before Hades could object, Frank hurried up the stairs to the deck. 

It took a few minutes to get everyone to the mess hall dining room for a meeting, but soon enough, they were all gathered around him. 

"Sorry to disturb everyone," Frank apologises. "I know it's late and everyone's had a tiring day, but this is important." He looked from each of his friends to the next; Percy's eyelids were drooping sleepily, and Hazel wouldn't meet his eyes. Problems for another time. 

"My lords and ladies," Frank addressed the four Olympians. "You have to leave, to search for the other gods." He ignored Athena's reserved frown. "You are good protection from our enemies," Frank admitted. "But the odds of us losing is already so high, and in the final battle, all of the Olympians have to be there if we even want a chance at winning this." 

"We'll be leaving you to fend for yourselves," Hephaestus warned. 

Athena nodded in agreement. "From here you must journey back to camp, and since Pontus knows you are near success, he will throw everything he has to stop you." 

Frank shrugged. "He would've anyway. We've come this far, I think we can handle it for a few more days." He swallowed nervously as Athena and Demeter exchanged furtive whispers, a rapid discussion within seconds. 

Hades was itching to go, and when Frank caught his eye, the god gave him a reluctant but grateful nod. 

"You're right," Demeter sighed. "We'll find the rest of our family, and we'll return to camp before the battle breaks out." 

"We will not abandon the demigods this time," Athena assured them. "Olympian's honour." She gestured for them to shield their eyes. "Goodbye for now, then." 

Only just turning away in time, Frank's eyelids fluttered close moments before a wave of heat ruffled his hair and made his body sway. When he opened his eyes, the gods were gone. 

They were on their own.


	38. Candles

Tck, tck, tck. 

Annabeth muffled a grumpy groan with her pillow as she rolled into her other side. 

Tck, tck, tck. 

Someone was knocking on her door. They had to go away. She wasn't ready to wake up yet. 

"Psst, Annabeth," someone hissed. 

Realising that her short beauty sleep was over, Annabeth groaned as she flopped out of bed and stumbled over to the door. 

"Mmph, Hazel?" she slurred sleepily. "What?" Her frizzy-haired friend was at the door, with Piper at her side. Both were dressed and freshened up, which made Annabeth feel like a disgusting slob. 

"We need to come in," Piper insisted, shoving past her as they slipped inside and shut the door behind them. 

"Are we under attack?" Annabeth demanded. 

Hazel shook her head. 

"Any imminent danger?" she continued. 

"No, but—"

Annabeth snorted. "Then why the hell did you wake me up?"

"Frank's planning to propose to me," Hazel exploded frantically. 

Annabeth felt her jaw drop as she sat down on her bed suddenly. "Oh my gods," she whispered. "Oh, of course," she said again, this time with an irritated tone. "How did I not realise this?" 

"Not the point," Piper reminded her. "Hazel doesn't know what to do." 

"I saw the speech on his desk," Hazel explained worriedly. "Do I ask him about it? I'm afraid he'll get mad at me for finding out. I'm sure he wanted it to be a surprise." 

Annabeth studied Hazel's face. "Yes or no?" 

Hazel blinked. "What?" 

"Yes or no?" Annabeth repeated. "That's the question, isn't it? Do you want to marry Frank or not?" 

Piper and Hazel exchanged looks. 

"I don't know," Hazel admitted. She sighed. "I love Frank, I really do. But we're so young — what if we're making a mistake?" she said in bewilderment. "What if I'm wrong about this?" 

Piper grabbed Hazel's hands. "Don't care about the future. That isn't your worry," she said firmly. "All that matters is now." Piper swallowed. "As hard as it is to admit, in a week's time, we could all be dead. If that happens, will you regret that you didn't marry Frank when you had the chance?" 

Annabeth stared at the back of Piper's head. Something about her words struck a chord with her. If she died next week, would she regret anything? 

Percy. 

The first thing that slipped into her mind was Percy. 

It set off alarm bells and Annabeth had to hold in her panic. She couldn't believe that she was still having thoughts like these. Percy had cheated on her, and yet he'd returned and somehow burrowed his way back into her heart. 

Damn you, she added silently in her head towards him. Why do you have to be so...Percy? 

Annabeth hesitated. For all their tension and moments of quiet, they'd never once brought up the issue of him kissing Rachel before he disappeared. He probably didn't even know she knew. 

Annabeth wondered if he regretted it. Or if he was just waiting to get back to Rachel at camp. The thought of it actually, physically pained her. 

"Yes," Hazel's sudden answer shattered Annabeth's thoughts like glass. The matter at hand swamped her once again, and Annabeth inhaled sharply once she comprehended Hazel's words. "Oh my gods," Hazel gasped, clamping a hand over her mouth. Her arms relaxed as she cried, "Oh my gods, I want to marry Frank!" 

"That's great!" Piper exclaimed delightedly. 

"No! How did I not know?" Hazel said desperately. "It just snuck up on me — hell, I love him so much — what?" She buried her face in her hands. 

Piper soothed her by patting her on the back. "Times like this expose our priorities. You want to marry Frank, and now you know." 

"I do," Hazel said softly, a reluctant smile growing on her face. "I really do."

Annabeth found herself swept into a group hug, and she couldn't help the joy she felt for Hazel and Frank. They'd get their happy ending — at least two of them would. 

^^^^^ 

"Hey, you're in luck," Annabeth announced as she hopped up onto the deck. "It's our turn to be on patrol. You guys can take a break." 

Frank and Jason, who'd previously been sitting at the bow of the ship — talking and standing guard — turned around to see the two girls walking up to switch out with them. 

The sun was setting — another day past, and they were getting closer to camp. 

"Sure you don't want us to take over?" Jason asked Piper. 

Piper smiled. "No, it's fine. Besides, Percy's been on babysitting detail for two hours now, and I think you should go make sure that he hasn't died of boredom." She leaned over and gave Jason a peck on the cheek as he passed her. 

"Oh, and Hazel's looking for you in the mess hall, Frank," Annabeth called out as she swung out to sit on the bow of the ship. 

Frank felt his eyebrows shoot skyward. He'd been trying to talk to her since last night, when the gods had left to find the others. She'd been avoiding him, so he was no doubt relieved to know that she was feeling okay now. 

He muttered a quick 'thanks' to Annabeth before he hurried down the steps. Was Hazel alright? 

Frank stopped short when he stepped into the mess hall. 

Candles of all shapes and sizes decorated the cabinets, tables, chairs, and shelves. The darkness that the night cast on the ship was illuminated by the dim light of the flames. 

A soft breath escaped Frank's mouth as his gaze roved over the room to land on Hazel. Her hair was done up in two braids, and she was holding a piece of paper in her hand as she shyly looked at him. 

"Hazel," Frank breathed. "What..." 

As he trailed off, Hazel took a deep breath and angled her gaze to the piece of paper in her hands. 

"Frank's Proposal Speech," she read, an arched eyebrow and an expectant look averting to him. 

Frank could've sworn that his heart stopped altogether. "Oh my gods," he rushed forward in a flurry of panic and fear. "No, that's Leo — it's not mine — I'm sorry —"

"Frank," Hazel interrupted, a lilting laugh brightening up the atmosphere. "Relax." She set the piece of paper down on the floor as she walked up to him. 

Frank felt tears well up in his eyes as Hazel slowly got down on one knee. Both of them erupted into teary laughs. 

"Oh my gods," he murmured, still in disbelief. This was really happening. 

"Frank," Hazel said shakily, her hands clasped in front of her. "How do I even start?" she said feverishly. "Gods, I can't even put into words what I feel for you. 'I love you' isn't enough to encompass my feelings for you, but it's all I have right now, so it'll have to do." 

"I love you," Hazel managed between sniffles. "Frank, I love you so, so much. You are one of the reasons why this life is worth living. You were the first person to really accept me for who I was, to not care what other people whispered about me." She took in a shuddering breath. "When I died, I never expected to be granted this second chance. And then this second chance turned into the best thing that's ever happened to me, because I've been given the amazing opportunity to fall in love with my—" She wiped at her eyes. "—to fall in love with my best friend." 

"We might be young, but we aren't like other people," Hazel said with a trembling voice. "I don't want to spend another day wasted being distant from you. I want to spend every day for the rest of my life loving you, until the day I die. And even after that." 

Tears glistened on Hazel's cheeks, and Frank couldn't help those that spilled from his eyes either. 

"Oh, Hazel," Frank knelt down in front of her, chuckling with watery eyes. He entwined his fingers in hers. "I love you too. I'll always love you — in this life, and in whatever comes next. It doesn't matter where we end up, because this isn't something that will fade or change over time. No matter what happens, I will always love you." 

Hazel leaned forward and they shared a loving kiss, their lips brushing briefly for a moment. 

Frank released her right hand and with trembling fingers swiped the ring from his back pocket. "Good thing I had this handy, huh?" Frank choked out as he presented her with his family ring. 

Hazel used the back of her hand to brush away her tears. 

"Hazel Levesque," Frank said shakily. "Will you do me the honour of making me the happiest man in the world; will you marry me?" 

"Yes," Hazel cries. "Yes, Frank, yes, of course, I'll marry you!" She flung her arms around his neck and smashed her lips into his. 

They spun around for a few moments as they stood up, Frank steadying her until they drew apart, gasping for breath and crying joyfully. 

They simply shared in each other's presences for a few minutes before they slowly made their way above-deck. 

Frank was the first to emerge through the stairwell, pulling Hazel up after him. Their friends were gathered in front of them, impatiently and excitedly awaiting their news. 

"We're engaged!" Hazel cried, leaping up to hug her friends. There were yells of happiness and laughs between them. The seven of them shared a group hug, and Frank found himself being congratulated by everyone. 

He was near delirious was elation. I'm really marrying Hazel, Frank thought giddily. 

When they drew away, Frank got the chance to take in his friends' smiles. 

"So, any concrete plans for a wedding?" Percy asked. Jasper was cradled in his arms, and his green eyes were sparkling brightly. Annabeth was stood at his side, and their close proximity made Frank add to the back of his mind to ask Percy about them soon. 

"A soon as possible," Frank explained, and Hazel gave a murmur in agreement. 

"We don't want to waste another day," Hazel assured him. 

Leo chuckled. "Okay, this is gonna sound crazy, but how about tomorrow?" 

There was a stunned silence where Frank stared at Leo like he was crazy. 

"We're surrounded by Greek islands," Leo protested. "And we've got over a week before we have to be back at camp. When else are you going to get an opportunity like this?" 

Frank turned to Hazel, whose hand still hadn't left his. "What do you think?" he asked quietly. 

A smile broke across her features, and in that moment, Frank reminded himself that he'd landed the most beautiful woman in the world. 

"I think it's perfect," Hazel breathed. 

"Kythira is on our route back," Annabeth suggested. "The island dedicated to Aphrodite. It's quiet, remote; perfect for a small wedding like this." 

Hazel frowned. "What about monsters?" 

Percy shook his head. "Don't worry about that. I'll make sure the sea creatures don't let anything past the island shores." 

Hazel turned back to face Frank, and they shared a smile. 

"We're getting married tomorrow," he murmured incredulously. "I can't believe it." 

Hazel squeezes his hand comfortingly. "Well, get used to it," she whispered, grinning madly at him.


	39. Destination Vacation

"Okay, if we die next week," Leo declared. "I want the world to remember how innovative we were." 

Annabeth rolled her eyes as she watch Leo nearly take a tumble when his foot caught on a small rock. Chairs from the dining room were stacked up in his arms as he struggled to carry them off the ship. 

Her eyes lit up when she caught sight of Piper, who was leaning over the side of the ship and beckoning for Annabeth to come closer. 

When Annabeth obliged, Piper explained, "I've finished doing Hazel's hair. All she needs to do is put on the dress." 

Annabeth shot her a thumbs-up in return. "Good job heading up the bridal prep, Pipes. Go get ready, then bring Hazel down at 6.30 sharp." 

Piper nodded in a display of understanding before she disappeared down the stairs. Annabeth turned back to her other jobs — Leo was arranging the chairs with the help of Jason, who was doubling up as Frank's one-third of best men. 

Since there were so few of them even present, Hazel and Frank had decided to name all of them their best men and maids of honour — Leo had insisted on being a maid of honour as a joke, so Annabeth had been granted an official bestmanship. 

It was a small, impromptu wedding, but Annabeth was quite pleased with what she'd managed to coordinate. They'd set up the wedding buffet on a picnic blanket — unconventional but cute nonetheless. Jason had found a bunch of flowers for the bridal bouquet earlier, and Percy had been frantically trying to piece together a presentable wedding suit out of the few scraps of clothes Frank had. 

"Hey," someone said breathlessly from behind her. Annabeth turned around and couldn't hold in her laugh when she saw an exhausted Percy cradling Jasper in his arms, rocking him back and forth rapidly to soothe the child. 

"He won't stop crying," Percy begged. "Relieve me of babysitting duty — please." 

Annabeth rolled her eyes as she held out her clipboard for the exchange. As Jasper was delivered into her arms, Annabeth glared at Percy. "You are useless," she said with a tone of finality. 

Percy winced apologetically. "Sorry." 

"There's a list of things on there that have to be done before the wedding," Annabeth instructed carefully, slowly bouncing Jasper up and down. "They're your jobs now." 

Percy visibly paled. Apparently, weddings were just as daunting as babies. Nevertheless, he gave her a mock salute and hurried off to get Frank and Jason down to set up the alter. 

Annabeth spent the next half an hour sitting cross-legged on the shore, pointing out the horizon to Jasper. He giggled and fussed as she rolled around with him in the sand. 

"We're gonna save the world for you," Annabeth whispered softly to him. The setting sun illuminated the clouds with streaks of orange. Both of them lay on the shore, staring up ahead. "So you don't have to do any of this when you grow up." 

Jasper curled into her side, his tiny breaths puffing our and blowing up a few grains of sand each time. 

"Annabeth!" It was Percy, jogging off the ship. "We're ready," he told her with a grin, beckoning her to the makeshift aisle. Annabeth kissed Jasper lightly on the top of his head before she swept him back into his arms and followed Percy. 

There were four chairs set up to make an aisle in the middle, and two trees that craned are the front made up their archway. 

Frank was standing under the trees with Leo and Jason at his side. He was wearing a white shirt and a blazer — probably from Jason. Annabeth glanced around at her friends; they'd all had to improvise when it came to formal wedding clothing. 

She herself had borrowed a long navy blue skirt from Piper, which she'd paired with a scrappy white blouse. The skirt was a little short, and just brushed the middle of her shin, but it would have to do. 

"She's coming," Leo said suddenly, pointing to the Argo II. All four of them turned in unison to see Hazel descending the ship, a bouquet of flowers grasps between her hands. 

"That's your aunt Hazel," Annabeth whispered to Jasper, who was squinting as his eyes tried to adjust to the light. "Doesn't she look beautiful?" 

Hazel was wearing the golden dress she'd worn to the farmer's dinner earlier that month, and her hair was sprung free of hair ties and reached just below her shoulders. Piper had twisted some flowers into a crown in her hair, but other than that, it was just Hazel's natural beauty that left them all in awe. Piper trailed behind her, wearing a purple dress that reached to her knees. 

When Hazel reached the archway, everyone else took their seats, leaving Hazel, Frank and Piper at the front of the aisle. 

"Dear friends," Piper started, "We're gathered here today to witness the love that binds Hazel and Frank together." Her features relaxed as a small smile spread across her face. "I've known both of you for half a decade now, and it's showed me what true love really is. As a daughter of Aphrodite, I have always been told that love means hurting your other half. You have proven that that is never the case. Through the last few years, it didn't matter what happened because what you went through, you went through together." 

"The rings, please?" she asked. 

Leo hurriedly passed each ring to Frank and Piper. He'd forged them overnight using spare parts from the ship. 

"Please slip the ring onto your fiancé's hand," Piper instructed. 

Frank's hand hovered in mid-air as he paused. "Can I say a few words before?" he requested. 

Hazel looked surprised, but she nodded nonetheless. 

"Hazel," Frank swallowed. "I love you. You will always come first in my heart, and I can't wait for us to embark on the rest of our lives as a married couple. When we first met, I would never have believed that we'd be a standing here today." He hesitated. "Hazel, you make me the man I always dreamed of being. You make me stronger, and you make me love you even more fiercely as every day passes. This ring symbolises my promise to love you forever, and whether or not the world ends within the next week, that promise will live on." 

Annabeth felt her vision blur, and she quickly brushed the tears away from her face. Jasper looked up at her with confusion clouding his eyes. "They love each other," she explained to him, her voice barely above a whisper. 

She felt someone looking at her, and glanced to her right to see Percy gazing at them with a faint smile. When their eyes met, Annabeth offered him a comforting grin. 

"Do you, Hazel Levesque, take Frank Zhang to be your lawfully wedded husband under the watchful eye of Olympus?"

Hazel's face broke into a tear-filled smile. "I do."

Piper repeated the question to Frank. 

"I do," Frank said with the utmost certainty and a grin. 

Piper clasped her hands together and smiled. "I now pronounce you; husband and wife." 

Both of them rushed forward as Frank swept Hazel into his arms. Their lips met in a passionate kiss as Frank dipped her lower, embracing each other tightly like they'd never let go. 

Cheers and applause erupted from the rest of their friends. 

^^^^^

The wedding dinner on the beach was the best idea ever, Hazel decided. Annabeth was a genius. They laughed and chatted like they were just normal young adults, at a normal wedding. Like the world might not end in a few days' time. 

And of course, Hazel's nerves were jumpy and bubbled inside her for a whole different reason. 

When the sun set and twilight draped over the island like a blanket, the demigods retired to the Argo II, shivering in the night's cold. Hazel was wearing Frank's blazer over her dress and they huddled together for warmth as they shuffled aboard the ship. 

Frank presses a kiss to Hazel's cheek as they stumbled down the stairwell. When they stopped in front of Hazel's room, Frank kissed her slowly. "I love you," he whispered, his hands withdrawing from her sides. "Sleep well." 

Hazel watched him retreat for a few scones before she comprehended what he was saying. "Frank!" she called, bounding up to him and grabbing his hand. "Where are you going?" 

She blushed deeply once the words left her mouth. Frank's eyebrows were knitted with confusion, but as it slowly dawned on him, his eyes widened with understanding instead. 

"Come here," she whispered, tip-toeing so she could press her lips to Frank's. They kissed slowly and gently as they backed up towards her room again. 

Hazel's breath escaped her in a gasp as she felt her back slam into the door. Her hands grappled for Frank's hair, her eyes flickering open and close as she fumbled for the door handle behind her. 

The door swung open with a loud bang and they burst through into her room, but Hazel didn't care. Her heart was still palpitating rapidly, but she wouldn't stop for anything. 

Frank's arms around her fell as he stepped back and gave her questioning look. "Are you sure about this?" he asked. 

Hazel nodded. "You?" 

Frank smiled. "Yeah." 

Another kiss. And this time, neither of them moved away. 

^^^^^

The soft sizzling of a pan echoed through the dining room. Despite the magical plates from camp, Percy had insisted on teaching Annabeth how to cook an omelette. 

"It's not even difficult," Percy complained, watching as she grasped the handle like her life depended on it. 

She shot him a glare. "I have a saucepan here and I'm not afraid to use it," she said threateningly. 

It was the next morning, around 10am. Festus was at the helm above deck, steering them back to Camp Half-Blood. Percy's eyes sidled to the pictures on the walls — so close, yet so far. 

"So," Annabeth started as she slid the omelette — more like scrambled eggs — onto her plate. "It's almost your birthday. You gonna do anything?" 

Percy shrugged. "I mean. My one wish is to not die, but sure." He pondered thoughtfully. "Maybe laser tag." 

They settled down onto the dining table. Annabeth grinned. "You know I'd destroy you at laser tag." 

"Who said you were invited?" 

Annabeth's mouth fell open as she smacked him in the arm. "Hey!" 

Jasper was sitting in the high chair next to them, gurgling as he waited impatiently for his food. 

"Sorry, I forgot about you," Annabeth apologised to the baby as some baby food appeared on the plate. 

Someone came pounding down the stairs at the same time someone came up. Leo has just come from above-deck, and Jason and Piper were from below. 

Leo smirked when he saw the couple. "So, I guess Hazel and Frank weren't the only ones getting at it last night." 

Jason's face went redder than a tomato. 

"Oh my gods, there's a baby," Piper hissed at Leo, hurrying to cover Jasper's ears. "Besides," she said, once he couldn't hear anything. "Isn't he technically proof that we smashed?" 

Percy disguised a laugh as a snort as he shovelled egg into his mouth to stifle his laughter. 

Jason slapped a hand to his forehead in exasperation. "Oh, come on, we're all adults." 

Percy stared pointedly at his eggs. He'd never slept with anyone. He didn't know if Annabeth had. He wasn't that bothered by it, but it did bring up some awkwardness. 

Hazel and Frank were the last to enter the dining room, mere moments after Jason spoke. 

All eyes landed on them as they were greeted with suggestively raised eyebrows. 

"Not. A. Word," Hazel said loudly.


	40. Now They Know

A soft crying broke through Annabeth's haunted sleep. 

She jolted up with a gasp, her heart hammering wildly against her ribcage. Groaning softly, Annabeth pressed a hand to her forehead and willed the tears welling up in her eyes to recede. 

They'd set sail after Frank and Hazel's wedding, and the nightmares had never ceased to bombard her. Nightmares about if they lost. 

The havoc the primordials would wreak on Camp Half-Blood. The Olympians chained up and sentenced to Tartarus for life. Demigods utterly wiped out — another massacre similar to the one at Camp Jupiter. 

Three sharp raps on her door forced the disturbing thoughts out of her mind and her to her feet as she slumped over and shuffled towards the door. She took a deep, shuddering breath before she pulled it open. 

"Percy?" Annabeth voiced in surprise. 

"Hi," Percy sighed exhaustedly. "Sorry, Jasper's right next to my room and he keeps crying. Can I...?" He trailed off. 

Annabeth felt her stomach turn as she comprehended his question. "Yeah, sure," she agreed, despite her mind's uncertainty. 

An uncontrollable laugh bubbled up in the back of her throat as Percy instantly curled up on the ground in a foetal position. 

"What are you doing?" Annabeth demanded between chuckles. "You're such a Seaweed Brain. Of course, I'm not gonna make you sleep on the floor." 

Percy tilted his head up to look at her blearily from the floor. 

"Come on," Annabeth insisted, yanking him to his feet. "It's not the first time we've slept in the same bed. I hope you don't kick."

She climbed under the covers as Percy cautiously followed her. 

"I'll try not to drool on you," Percy said jokingly, trying to alleviate the tension. It worked, because Annabeth laughed as she turned over to face him. 

They were so close, but Annabeth wasn't worried about anything happening. They were both far too exhausted and she was preoccupied with dreading the nightmares. 

"By the way, I, uh," she started hesitantly. "I might have some nightmares. If I start, I don't know, fussing, don't worry about it." 

Percy's face turned into a frown. "Nightmares about?" 

"Losing, mostly," Annabeth managed. "The world completely destroyed because we failed." 

Percy went quiet. "We won't lose," he said softly. "We can't." 

"I know," she sighed. "But what if?" Annabeth looked up at him. "Do you remember when my mother told you about your fatal flaw?" 

Their gazes met as memories flooded their minds. 

"That I'd choose my friends over the world?" Percy snorted. "Hard to forget." 

"What if that happens?" Annabeth whispered. "If you have to choose the world over us?" 

Percy swallowed. "You're asking if I can do it." 

Annabeth nodded. "You weren't tested for this in the other two wars, but what if this is the time?" 

"You want me to choose to save the world even if it means you dying," Percy inferred. 

She nodded again. "You know you'd want me to do the same. It's what we do. We sacrifice when we have to." 

"When we have to," Percy repeated. "There's always another way." 

Annabeth blinked. "Sometimes there isn't." 

Another sigh. "We'll worry about that when the time comes," Percy said decidedly. "It might not even be an issue." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear tentatively. "For now, I promise to wake you up if any nightmares come." 

^^^^^

"Based on our current position, we should be back in camp within a few days," Leo informed her. Annabeth installed Jasper in the high chair next to the wheel so Leo could watch over him. 

They'd been speeding through the ocean for three days, and the journey was surprisingly smoother than on the way here. No monster attacks. None at all. 

Percy had agreed that it was the calm before the storm. Patrols and suspicions were heightened to ensure that no surprise attacks would stand in their way of their return. 

It was Annabeth and Jason's turn to patrol, but he was a little late. 

"We should get back a few days early, right?" Annabeth asked. Her drawn-out battle strategies were spread across Buford the table, and she occasionally reviewed them to check for mistakes or areas for improvement. 

Leo nodded, handing her half of his sandwich. Annabeth absent-mindedly took a bite out of it, making a face as she realised it was ham and cheese. 

"Enough time to get our forces organised," Leo reasoned. 

Demigods, Hunters, satyrs, and possibly, the Gods. Annabeth didn't want to say anything but she knew that they barely stood a chance against Pontus' forces. There were Titans, giants, and primordials to fight against — they were no match for that. 

"Leo," Annabeth paused. He looked up at her expectantly. "What if we lose?" she said despairingly. 

Leo fell quiet at her words. 

"We won't," he said determinedly. "We can't." 

A soft pounding on the steps signalled Jason walking up to above-deck, his eyes dropping tiredly. Even though Jasper was being passed around, Jason and Piper were still experiencing the fatigue that came hand-in-hand with a new infant. 

Jasper was adorable, but he couldn't yet sleep through the night, and would often wake up screaming. 

For the last few nights, Percy had set up camp in Annabeth's room, and she found that she had much fewer nightmares with his comforting warmth beside her. At first, they'd fall asleep on the furthest ends of the bed, but inevitably, they'd wake up in each other's arms. 

Annabeth didn't know whether it was a survival mechanism or her mind was just playing a cruel trick on her. So close yet so far, it taunted. 

"You look tired," Leo told Jason, stifling a snicker. 

Jason glowered. "No kid, no opinion." He groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead. "Why won't Jasper just sleep? What did we ever do to him?" he begged. 

Annabeth ruffled her hand through his hair affectionately. "It'll get better," she laughed. 

"Easy for you to say," Jason grumbled. "You don't have a baby." 

"Yeah, but I have a Percy," Annabeth pointed out. 

Leo opened his mouth, probably to make some lewd comment, but Annabeth held out her hands as her eyes widened. She gestured towards her ears, then to the railing of the ship. 

A scraping sound. She'd heard it. The sound of something or multiple somethings scaling the side of the ship. 

"It's another attack," she said suddenly, her dagger jumping into her hand as she raced to ring the emergency bell. "Get everyone up here!" 

The bell chimed throughout the ship and Jason and Leo joined her at the railing to beat off the attackers. Festus pounded up towards them, exhaling puffs of smoke as he clanked. 

Jason blasted the invicta scaling the ship with a gust of wind, but more just kept coming. 

"What's going on?" Frank had arrived. 

"Another attack," Annabeth informed him. "Can you and Leo get the other side?" 

Leo saluted her before he jogged to the other end of the ship and started throwing hammers and tools down at the monsters. 

"Jason!" Annabeth yelped, yanking him to the ground as a harpy zoomed up at them, nearly taking them both out in one swipe. 

Annabeth sprang to her feet and leaped at the monster, slicing its spear in half before she stabbed the harpy and dispelled it. 

When she turned back, Jason was engaged in a duel with two other invicta. 

Hazel and Piper were next up on deck. They jumped into the fight, instantly helping to kill the legions of ordinary monsters. Percy joined them shortly after, wiping out several monsters as he waded through their ranks. 

Annabeth shoved a warrior overboard and slit another's throat. She swallowed as the mortal-like body slumped onto the ground, golden ichor bleeding from his throat. She threw the body overboard. 

"Annabeth!" A shriek caught her attention. It was Piper, gesturing wildly at her. 

Annabeth quickly followed her line of sight and her heart nearly stopped altogether when she saw the invictus approaching a gurgling Jasper, who was still strapped into his baby chair. 

His cries were heart-breaking as he struggled to get out of the chair, right in the monster's line of destruction. Annabeth was closest to him — no one else would be able to get there in time. 

Annabeth raced across the deck, tumbling around monsters and dodging weapons of all sorts. She had one goal in mind. 

But she wouldn't get there in time. Annabeth knee that from the distance between herself and Jasper. The invictus would get to him first, and then it'd all be over. 

The invictus raised an arm in preparation to strike the baby down. Annabeth's right hand came up, fingers outstretched as she instinctively drew on her powers. Her one screaming thought; no. 

Annabeth's cry rang out in time with the invictus being blasted to the side, breaking the floorboards as it fell to the floor in a thud. 

As it fell, the monster's foot caught on the bottom of Jasper's high chair, toppling the seat and sending it flipping overboard. 

Overboard. 

Piper's screams and Jason's blood-curdling shouts were like white noise. Annabeth could feel adrenaline rushing through her veins. Her blood pounded in her ears. 

Everything was happening in slow motion. Jasper disappeared over the edge. Annabeth almost passed out from fear. Jason wouldn't reach him in time. No one would get him in time. He'd hit the water surface and — 

Jasper hovered in mid-air, screaming bloody murder, but suspended in safety. Annabeth's hands were outstretched, telekinetically holding him in place. 

Her heavy pants echoed in her mind as she pulled Jasper back to her with trembling hands. The chair landed in front of her with a thud and Annabeth scrambled to unbuckle Jasper, a sob threatening to burst from her lips. 

She swept Jasper into her arms, the crying baby instantly burying his face in her shoulder as she squeezed him tightly. He was safe. Alive. 

Annabeth felt someone kneel down beside her and place a gentle hand on her arm. Her eyes fluttered open to see Percy, absolutely exhausted, but filled with relief as he saw them safe. 

The next few seconds were almost a blur. The adrenaline was slowing her mind, blurring reality and thought together. The monsters were all dead. Percy had taken care of that rather quickly. 

Piper came to cradle Jasper in her arms and they shared a group hug with Jason. 

Annabeth sat down hard on the ground, her hand still clutching Percy's like a lifeline. They had come so close, so, so close to losing Jasper. And it was all her fault. 

Annabeth felt an irrepressible horror at herself. Her powers had almost gotten Jasper killed. 

"I'm sorry," she choked out. "I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to — I was trying to get it away from Jasper — and he got thrown into the air and —"

Piper shushed her as she and Jason knelt down in front of her. "What are you apologising for?" Piper sniffled, her eyes still shining with tears of relief. "You saved him. He'd be dead if it wasn't for you." 

Jason nodded between teary smiled. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I—we owe you so much."

Annabeth was still shaking. They weren't mad at her? But she'd nearly gotten Jasper killed. 

"And you..." Piper frowned. "You controlled it with your-your mind? How—when?" 

In an instant, Annabeth's shock turned to terror. They knew. They all knew. 

Would they judge her for this? Especially now that they knew it could hurt the people she loved? 

"You're telekinetic?" Leo questioned incredulously. "How did none of us know?" 

"Is it from your mother?" Hazel asked. 

Annabeth felt something clamp down on her throat. She couldn't speak, or breathe. There was still so much going through her mind — Jasper's close call, and now everyone knew — 

"I need a minute," she said tightly, her voice higher and smaller than it usually was. 

Annabeth whirled down the steps, clutching the bannister like a lifeline. 

The others watched helplessly as she stumbled down the steps and to her room. 

Percy was torn between running after her and doing damage control. 

Frank was the first to break the silence. "Did you know?" 

Percy swallowed. "I did. It started when Piper was in labour. Annabeth saved my life with it." He fiddled with the bottom of his shirt. "But Athena said it could kill her if her mind doesn't catch up with it. I want to believe that she's strong to surpass it, but I don't know anymore." 

"She can do it," Leo said without hesitation. He glanced at the others. "Do you really think otherwise? This is Annabeth we're talking about. She's the strongest person I know." 

Percy realised with a start that Leo was right. Maybe if he stopped doubting her and offered his support instead, this wouldn't be a problem anymore. 

"Aside from this," Piper interjected. "What in Hades is going on between you and Annabeth?" She flailed her free hand around. "I mean, are you dating? Are you in love? Are you in denial? I don't know what the hell is going on anymore!" 

Percy shook his head helplessly. "I-I have no idea."


	41. The Tension Between Us

Percy found himself standing in front of Annabeth's door, unsure whether to knock or leave. Did she want to see him right now? She probably wanted some time to think. 

As he turned his back on the door, Percy traipsed slowly towards his own room. What was going on between them? 

There were moments where it seemed like the last five years hadn't happened, and they were just innocent teenagers in love at a time where they thought that love was all they needed. 

When Percy pushed his door open, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Annabeth sitting cross-legged on his bed and staring blankly at the wall. 

Her gaze swept towards him and Percy felt sadness well in his heart. Blonde curls flowed down her back and Annabeth's grey eyes were clouded with an emotion he couldn't identify. 

"Sorry," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Percy swallowed as he closed the door behind him. 

"I don't know why I'm here," Annabeth confessed. 

Percy stood by the door uncertainly. "That's okay," he said reassuringly. "I-uh-Do you want to talk?" 

Annabeth folded her arms, her shoulders slumping. "I'm afraid my powers will corrupt me," she admitted. "If I can't control them, they could hurt other people too. Not just me. You saw what happened to Jasper." 

Percy pulled up his desk chair to opposite the bed and sat down in it so they were facing each other. "I did. I saw you save his life when I thought that he was dead."

"He was only thrown overboard because of me," Annabeth said miserably. She buried her face in her hands. "It's just too much. Everything. The war, you, this." 

Percy blinked. Me? he wanted to cry out. I didn't want to leave you. 

Instead, Percy suppressed those thoughts and exhaled slowly. "I know it's a lot," he started. "But you're stronger than your powers. I know you are. And I've been trying to discourage you from using them, but the truth is, that you shouldn't be afraid of them," he reasoned. "Annabeth, you're a billion times stronger than your brain." 

Percy paused for a moment. "You've got your heart," he added. "And your kindness. And everything you've been through since you were just 7." Percy shuffled his feet. "And, well, all of that is worth ten times your brain." 

"So maybe your brain isn't strong enough to cope with your powers," Percy said. "But the rest of you is." He stared at his feet awkwardly. 

"That was a real heart-to-heart," came Annabeth's trembling voice. When he looked up, she shrugged. "Thank you," she said sincerely. 

The corner of his mouth perked up in a small smile. "Anytime." 

Annabeth brushed her hair out of her face. "How're you feeling about returning to camp?" 

Oh, so they were back to him. Percy pulled a face. "Nervous, more than anything. I haven't seen some of my closest friends in ages — Grover, Clarisse, Thalia — and I might just have a day before they're all dead. Also—" Percy winced. "I'm afraid they'll blame me for abandoning them for five years." 

Annabeth was silent for a few moments. "Well," she said slowly. "No matter what, I'll be there." 

"Really?" Percy said lightly. "You'd stay with someone as annoying as me?" 

The chiming of a shrill bell interrupted their conversation. Percy's stomach grumbled in reply. It was the dinner bell. 

"We should head up," Percy offered. "Unless you prefer to eat here?" 

Annabeth shook her head. "No, I'm...I'm feeling pretty good," she said with a smile. "Let's go." 

Percy followed Annabeth as she headed towards the stairs. She came to a screeching halt in the middle of the stairwell, forcing Percy to stop on the step below. 

"What?" he said, with alarm. 

"You asked why I'd stay with you," Annabeth said suddenly. She swallowed. "Well, because I'm your friend, Seaweed Brain. That's why." 

Memories of a young boy and a girl talking in the back of a truck flashed through Percy's mind. 

Her soft breaths pulled Percy back to the present. They were at eye level, Percy still a little taller than her even though he was a step lower. 

A hair's width was all that stood between them. Between him leaning forward and kissing her like nothing else mattered. Her hands hovered uncertainly, unsure whether to make the first move. 

^^^^^

Ba-dum. 

Ba-dum. 

Annabeth counted the seconds with her heart beats. All she had to do was lean forward and she could have everything she'd craved since the moment she'd seen him in that tower. 

Then the haze over her mind cleared. 

Annabeth withdrew like she'd been sucker-punched, a sharp gasp bursting from her lips. 

"Oh my gods," she managed before she stumbled backwards up the steps. "I'm sorry—I can't. I have to go." 

Staggering up the steps, Annabeth could feel herself paling already. 

How could she let her guard down? Annabeth chided herself for ruining everything she'd been doing to avoid falling in love with Percy again. She'd tried so damn hard, and in the end, everything had failed anyway. 

Her friends were gathered in the dining room on the couches or by the cabinet, conversing quietly. 

"Annabeth?" Hazel asked in concern once she emerged from the stairwell. "Are you okay?"

Annabeth opened her mouth to utter another lie, but was interrupted by Percy. 

"Were you just playing with me then?" Percy demanded. 

Annabeth furiously brushed a tear away from her face as she spun around to face him. "What?" 

"Every time I feel like you and I are finally on good terms, you do something that throws me off!" Percy said angrily, gesturing wildly. 

"I can't let you hurt me again!" Annabeth cried. 

His face scrunched up in incredulity. 

"Getting over you was the hardest thing I ever had to do," Annabeth sobbed. She let out a frustrated yell as she wiped the wetness from her face. She absolutely hated crying in front of other people. It made her feel so weak and helpless. 

"I'm sorry," Percy pleaded. "I'm sorry I left. I'll never do that to you ever again, and I'm sorry I put you through it!" 

Annabeth's eyes burned with tears. "That's not why, Percy," she snorted humourlessly. "Of co ur se, I don't blame you for leaving!" 

"Then why? Why do you push me away over and over again?" 

"Because you kissed Rachel!" 

Annabeth's outcry left an unsettling silence draping over the room. Their friends looked on in silence, Jason cradling Jasper in arms. 

"Because..." A tear rolled down Annabeth's cheek. "Because you told me you loved me, and you broke my heart." Her voice cracked on the last word. 

Silence. 

The only sounds to be heard were their exhausted pants. 

"I didn't kiss Rachel." 

Annabeth gave him a contemptuous look. "I saw you," she said coldly. "Kissing on the beach. Under the sunset." She exhaled with a shudder. "You can't deny it — I saw you." 

"But I—" Percy halted again, confusion clouding his sea-green eyes. "Why would you — but I didn't kiss Rachel! Why would I? I was with you!" 

"I don't know!" Annabeth yelled desperately. She buried her face in her hands as she slumped onto the couch. "And I've been asking myself every day, if it's because I wasn't good enough for you. Maybe I wasn't pretty enough, or smart enough—"

Percy gently moved her hands away. He knelt down in front of her. "Annabeth, how could you think that?" He swallowed. "I was hopelessly in love with you. I wouldn't and I didn't kiss her." 

"Then I don't understand," Annabeth said bitterly. "Because our stories don't match. And one of us has to be lying." 

Another pause. 

Percy frowned. "At sunset, I was gone. Tartarus kidnapped me at noon. I couldn't have been there. Whoever you saw wasn't me." 

It was like the Earth had stopped spinning. Their heavy breaths had calmed to soft inhales and exhales. 

"But I don't..." Annabeth's eyes flickered. "I don't understand." 

"Oh my gods," Piper gasped, her horror-filled voice cutting through the room like a sharpened knife. "Oh my gods." She stared at Annabeth. "Mnemosyne. In the prophecy. She wasn't just mentioned because of Kronos' scythe." 

"Mnemosyne," Percy said slowly. He gritted his teeth. "No. No." 

"And what Apate and Dolos said about you falling," Piper said to Annabeth despairingly. "The gods of trickery." 

"What?" Annabeth demanded. "What are you talking about?" 

"Mnemosyne knew something was wrong," Percy said, closing his eyes and taking a shaky breath. "She even said so when we saw her in the cave. Oh my gods." 

Annabeth stared at him. 

It didn't add up. Percy was gone, yet she had seen him on the beach. Mnemosyne had felt something off about her mind — her memory. 

When it dawned on her, Annabeth would've collapsed if she hadn't already been sitting down. 

"Oh my gods," her hand flew to her mouth. "It's a fake memory." 

Now that she knew, it was so clear. The memory itself was now hazy. Rachel's features were blurry, lines that shook and wavered. Percy was just a silhouette. 

"How could they..." Annabeth searched for the words, her bewilderment preventing her from formulating complete thoughts. "Why would they..." 

Five years. Five years she'd spent hating herself and Percy. The horrible way she'd treated him since their reunion. All that harboured confusion and desperation for answers to why he'd done it. 

The answer was clear as crystal. He hadn't done it. 

When Annabeth looked up with shaking hands, she saw Percy gazing back at her with hurt-filled eyes. 

"Five years," she whispered. "I can't believe..."

If Percy had never cheated on her, and she wasn't angry at him, then...what were they doing? 

Frankly, the truth was that she'd fallen in love with him all over again. 

But that didn't matter. After all this time, after everything that had happened, Annabeth highly doubted that he still felt the same way about her. 

But...what were they? Dating? Friends? People who used to be best friends? 

She didn't know anymore. 

If the rest of her friends weren't there, Annabeth might have kissed him right there and then. 

God knew she wanted to. 

Grey eyes moulded with green ones as they stared at each other, everything suddenly making sense. 

And then the world exploded around her. 

In a split second, Annabeth felt the wood under her feet splinter and her body topple down below deck. 

Percy's eyes flooded with horror as his mouth opened in a silent shout, his hand outstretched in an attempt to grasp hers. He disappeared behind a explosion of wood and fire that engulfed both of them. 

She didn't even have time to scream.


	42. Deep Waters

Annabeth. 

That was Percy's first thought when he found himself sinking to the bottom of the ocean. 

"Annabeth!" Mere bubbles came out of his mouth. 

There was a moment of panic where Percy started to struggle. 

How deep in the water was he? How would he get out? 

Everything was pitch black. A murky abyss. Anything could be lurking in the darkness. 

He reached out and desperately grasped for anything. There was a heavy weight on his abdomen — a piece of debris from the ship. 

Percy groaned as held a hand to his head. There'd been an injury there earlier, but the water must've healed it. 

There had been an explosion. The ship had been torn apart, and the demigods separated. Percy squeezed his eyes shut, he couldn't believe it; they were so close to succeeding, and now Tartarus had beat them again. 

And he'd finally come to an understanding about the situation between Annabeth and himself. She'd thought he'd cheated on him. 

Just the thought made Percy sick to his stomach. How could she ever think that? That she wasn't good enough for him? The idea that he'd somehow contributed — although a false memory — to her destroyed mental state over the last few years was disturbing, to say the least. 

Percy pushed that out of his mind as he started to feel the water pressure getting to him. The dizziness made it hard for him to focus, but Percy knew that even he could only sustain so much pressure, and if this went on longer, he would die at the bottom of the sea. 

Ironic, for a son of Poseidon. 

Percy groaned as he raised his arms and feet and tried to push the debris off of himself. It was too heavy to be lifted or even budged by him. 

His fists clenched as Percy turned to the sea instead. Come on. Help me. 

The water yanked him out from under the sinking debris in a swift current. Percy tumbled through the water a few times before he came to hover in the sea. 

Now that he was free, Percy could sense everything around him. He forced himself not to panic. This was the sea — his domain. He didn't have anything to be afraid of. 

He willed the currents to propel him to the surface. 

The exact coordinates he was at fluttered through his mind. He was in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, with nowhere to go. 

Percy fervently prayed to all the gods that his friends had made it out okay. He was the only one who could've gotten out from under that debris — if someone else was stuck similarly...

Percy burst through the surface in a frantic spray of water. "Annabeth!" he yelled. "Annabeth!" 

As he scanned the landscape, Percy felt his heart sink into a cold block. There was no one to be seen. The ship's planks and metal shrapnel were scattered across the ocean.   
Smoke continued to linger in the air, creating a dreary mist hanging overhead. 

"Jason!" Percy shouted. "Leo!" He called his other friends' names, to no avail. 

Percy was dizzy with fear and horror at what had just happened. Was he the only survivor? All his friends dead — 

Percy forced himself not to think about that. "Annabeth!" he tried one last time, his voice cracking. 

And then, like a miracle from Olympus, a distance echo came. "Percy!" 

Percy nearly cried out in relief. "I'm here!" he shouted. "I'm here!" 

"Percy!" 

Something emerged from the fog, and Percy squinted to make it out against the setting sun. 

It was Piper, her hair done in a low ponytail and matted with dried blood. There was a scrape on her forehead, and she was cradling her arm, but she was alive. 

"Piper!" Percy felt a smile of utter relief break out on his face. 

She was sitting on a lifeboat, two other silhouettes huddled behind her. Hazel and Frank, Percy guessed. 

"Gods, you look like hell," Percy murmured as he climbed onto the boat, grasping Piper in a tight hug. 

"Nice to see you too," she sniffled. 

When Percy drew away, he noticed her red-ringed eyes. With a horrible start, Percy realised that Jasper was probably dead. A baby couldn't have survived an explosion like that. And Jason...Well, they didn't know where the rest of their friends were. 

Percy leaned back against the boat's side, closing his eyes. They were alive. They were safe. They'd survived. 

He glanced at his other friends. Hazel was staring out into the air, pale and grim, her hand clutching Frank's. 

"She nearly drowned," Piper whispered to Percy, who felt a twinge of sympathy. 

Frank's forearms were bloodied with shrapnel that Percy assumed had been removed. The cuts were healing as the seconds ticked by, probably by ambrosia. 

"We have to find the others," Percy said suddenly. "They have to be around here somewhere. We get them, and then we bring them back to camp." 

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion when he saw Piper bite her lip uncertainly. 

"Percy," Frank said slowly. "We've been sailing around for over an hour now. We were just about to leave when we saw you." 

Percy opened his mouth to reply, then closed it again. 

"We've gone around the whole wreckage," Piper said, her voice barely above a whisper. "There's no one else, Percy. Unless they're underwater; in which case, we can't help them anymore." 

Percy clutched the lifeboat's handles so tightly his knuckles turned white. "How can you..." 

"Percy," Piper begged. "We have to go or we won't make it back to camp in time. You have the spell and the scythe. You can destroy Tartarus." 

Percy shook his head. "We can't leave them!" he demanded. "How can you even say that?" 

"You don't think it's near impossible for me to go?" Piper cried. "My son could be somewhere down there! Jason! Percy, we have a duty, a quest to complete." 

She folded her hands together over her lap. "We can't waste anymore time. We have to go now." 

Percy felt his heart squeeze painfully. 

It had been six years, but Percy still remembered Athena's exact words to him. 

Your fatal flaw is personal loyalty Percy. You do not know when it is time to cut your losses. To save a friend you would sacrifice the world.

Back then, he'd thought, screw that, I'll save the world and my friends. 

It brought him back to his conversation with Annabeth. She'd asked him to choose the war over her if it came to it. He'd refused to choose, insisting that there would always be another way. 

There wasn't anymore. 

This was his fatal flaw. Percy would sacrifice himself for his friends or the world, but it wasn't up to him at the moment. 

"Look, I understand how hard this is for you," Piper said gently. "But if Jason is on another lifeboat, I'm trusting him to do the same thing. It's what we promised to do, Percy." 

"But..." Percy trailed off painfully. To yield. Hestia had said it would be difficult. 

"Do you trust Annabeth?" Piper said evenly. 

Silence fell over them for a few moments. 

Percy swallowed. "You're right." He pressed a palm to the boat, closing his eyes. There was a soft bubbling sound as waves started to buffet the boat forward, moving it smoothly across the water. 

Please, be alive, Annabeth. For me. 

^^^^^

Annabeth woke to the sound of wings beating. The sound of wind rushing past her face with a "whooshing" sound. 

Her head was pounding like someone had struck both ends of it with a battering ram. A small groan escaped her lips as Annabeth's eyes fluttered. 

"She's awake!" someone called out in relief, and there were shuffling noises before someone grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into a sitting position. 

Annabeth opened her eyes weakly and realised that she was huddled underneath a coat. 

Jason was sitting behind her, Jasper squished between her back and his arms. "We thought we'd lost you for a second there." 

Annabeth nearly screamed when she realised that they were over a thousand feet in the air. "Holy Hades!" Her arms instinctively clung to Leo, who was sitting in front of her. 

"Happy to see you're awake, but I don't think of you that way." 

They were sitting on Festus, all four of them balanced precariously on the metal dragon. 

Annabeth rolled her eyes at his sarcasm. "Shut up," her voice came out an octave higher than usual. "What?" She groaned again as she pressed a hand to her head. "What happened?" 

As soon as she said it, images of the floor exploding in a fiery ball of smoke and throwing her from the couch swamped her mind.

"Oh my gods, Percy!" Annabeth jolted with a horrifying start. "We have to go back for him!"   
She turned around, craning her neck to see the sea. The wreckage of the Argo II was nowhere in sight. 

"Why aren't you stopping?" she demanded. "Percy, Piper—they're all back there!" 

Jason lowered his gaze. "We can't," he said quietly. 

"What do you mean?" she enunciated incredulously. "Those are our friends! We can't just leave them!" 

Leo swallowed. "Annabeth, the trip back to camp could take us two days. The war is starting, we can't lose anymore time." 

A sinking feeling in her stomach alerted Annabeth to the fact that Leo was right. 

The war would be raging on by tomorrow morning, and the demigods needed all the help they could get or everything would be for nothing. 

"I scoured the water," Jason told her gently. "After I shot into the sky to avoid the explosion, I activated Festus and searched for everyone else. I found Leo paddling on a plank and you in the water. I didn't..." He looked down. "I didn't find anyone else." 

Annabeth gave his hand a comforting squeeze. "Look, they could still be out there. On a lifeboat, or maybe on some floating debris." She sighed. "We have to believe that they'll survive this too. Meet back at camp. It's the only thing we can do." 

She wanted to sleep. She wanted to go home. She wanted all of this to be over. 

Most of all, she wanted Percy. After all this time of tense moments and painful silences, Annabeth finally knew the truth. She wanted to cast Apate and Dolos into Tartarus for everything they'd taken from her. All that time that she'd doubted and berated herself for not being enough. 

All for nothing. 

And the time that she'd spent pushing Percy away. How could she face him after all that?

"You okay?" Leo studied her face. 

Annabeth took a deep breath. "I don't know," she admitted. "Percy, and now this..." 

"They'll be okay," Leo said firmly. "They have to be." 

Annabeth leaned her head on his back and exhaled slowly.

"Whatever happens tomorrow," Jason said slowly. "I'll never forget this quest. We'll figure something out. Together, this time. No more getting kidnapped or-or falling into Tartarus." 

Annabeth couldn't help the weak laugh that bubbled up in the back of her throat. 

"Yeah, yeah," she said softly. "Tomorrow, we win the war or we lose everything." Annabeth swallowed. "It's the end of the line."


	43. August 18th

Wispy clouds swept over the darkened sky. Stars sparkled behind the moon, the dim illumination on the grass cast shadows. The silhouettes of the trees stretched out towards the small legion of demigods amassed at the borders of Camp Half-Blood. 

Nervous breaths and silence were all to be heard. Cannons were loaded as dawn neared, and Reyna was at the head of the army, her orders enforced within their forces. 

As August 18th began, the demigods prepared for Tartarus and Pontus to launch their attack. The warning had come from Thalia and her Hunters, who had received a dream message from Jason. 

A rustling of the trees made Reyna's hand spring to the hilt of her sword. 

"Hold!" Her voice rapidly spread across the clearing. Reyna suppressed her nerves as she exchanged a glance with Nico. "Archers!" 

There was the sound of arrows being knocked and the elastics of bows stretching. Reyna was suddenly reminded of the Massacre. She'd failed to protect her people back then, and she wasn't about to make the mistake this time. 

A figure emerged from the murky woods. A woman with blonde hair, followed by a few more. All were cloaked and their faces hidden. 

Reyna gave Chiron a sidelong glance and was surprised to see the centaur's face slack with astonishment. 

"Come no further!" Reyna shouted. She held up a firm hand. If they misfired, this could turn very ugly very quickly. 

She and Nico exchanged wary looks before she cautiously began to approach the group of women, Nico and Chiron at her heels. 

As Reyna got closer, the strangest feeling dawned on her. It was kind of like déjà vu. 

One woman turned her eyes on Reyna, and it was suddenly as if she was staring right at Annabeth. Reyna choked out a gasp and blinked, and the resemblance was gone. 

Another woman with tanned skin reminded her of Apollo, with the same mouth and complexion. Of course, her face was set in a grave grimace, probably because of the circumstances they were surrounded by. 

"Reyna Avila Ramirez Arellano," Reyna declared as she came to a halt in front of them. "Daughter of Bellona. This is Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, and Chiron, our camp leader." She gripped the hilt of the sword at her waist and swallowed back her nerves. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your arrival?" 

One sister stepped forward. Her long, black braid swung at her knees as she bowed her head. "We offer our help," she answered. "Against the armies Tartarus and Pontus have gathered." 

The tanned woman nodded in agreement. "Your friends convinced us that we couldn't just sit around and watch the world crumble again." 

"So much faith," Reyna heard Nico mutter under his breath. "Nice." 

She suppressed a chuckle as she refocused her attention on their visitors. "Who are you?" she demanded. "How do we know you aren't just offering your help to backstab us later?" 

"Reyna," Chiron said gently. He stepped up beside her with a small smile breaking into his features. "These are old friends. I introduce to you, the Titan Sisters." 

As he spread his arms, it clicked in Reyna's brain. The woman who'd reminded her of Annabeth was Tethys, technically her great-grandmother. Reyna knew that DNA wasn't inherited on the godly side, and it still didn't make sense how features could be passed down, but everything related to Olympus was altogether pretty strange. 

Phoebe had to be the tanned woman, Apollo's grandmother, and the original entity of prophecy. There weren't many legends about them or their kindness, but if Chiron trusted them, then Reyna did too. 

Her hand slid from her dagger. "Well, it's lovely to meet you, then." Reyna frowned. "You mentioned something about meeting our friends?" 

The Sister Reyna assumed was Theia nodded. "Your friends on the big quest. They paid us a visit to attain Kronos' scythe." 

Nico shuffled to join them. "His scythe?" he said strangely. "Why would they want that?" 

Chiron had paled greatly. Themis, after seeing his reaction, nodded grimly in confirmation. 

"They're after the spell," Chiron said sombrely. 

"What spell?" Reyna demanded. "What are you talking about?" 

"There's a legend of a spell that can be used to summon the spirit of Ouranos," Chiron sighed. "Someone would have to host him to harness the power." 

"That's enough power to wreak havoc on camp," Nico said darkly. "It's uncontrollable — unreliable. Why would they use it?" 

"It's enough power to destroy a primordial," Reyna corrected as the realisation dawned on her. "They want to kill Tartarus and Pontus." 

"Oh, Hades," Nico cursed. 

"It's dangerous," Chiron informed them. "If they don't contain it, it'll destroy us all. And the person hosting it." 

"Did they mention who would be hosting Ouranos?" Reyna asked brashly. It wasn't important to their fight, but these were her friends they were so casually talking about. One of them could be dead in a matter of hours. 

Mnemosyne shook her head. "I don't think they understood the spell yet when they met us." 

Chiron shook his head nervously. "Whoever hosts it will have to take on the Curse of Achilles to give them even a slim chance of survival." 

In a split second, Nico's head whipped up to give Chiron a look of horror so blood-curdling that Reyna actually winced. 

"No," Nico breathed, turning rapidly to Mnemosyne. "The demigods you met," he demanded. "Did one of them have brown hair? Green eyes?" 

"The handsome one," Theia corrected. "Yes, he was one of them." 

All at once, something warm exploded in Reyna's chest. She briefly closed her eyes in relief. "Thank the gods." 

Percy was alive. Percy was coming back. 

She didn't feel about him anymore in that way, but he had always been a close friend and always tried his best to be there for her. Plus, he was the best fighter she knew, and would give them a great advantage in the fight. 

Chiron and Nico didn't seem to be taking the news so well. For people whose favourite student and good friend was Percy, they didn't look very happy. 

"He'll take the Curse again," Nico said, pacing back at forth worriedly. "It's Percy, of course, he will." 

"He could die," Chiron whispered, clasping his hands together so tightly that his knuckles turned white. 

"He also could live," Reyna pleaded with them. "Come on, we thought that we were alone. But they're coming back, and they have a plan to win this war. We have allies now, Titans, and old friends. If anything, we're better prepared now than ever." 

She stared steadily at Nico, who looked like he was struggling with himself. Then his gaze shifted from undecided to slack with dread. 

"Nico?" Reyna demanded. She resisted to urge to ask if she had something on her face. 

"Sunlight," he murmured. 

Reyna glanced down at herself to see rays of sunshine breaking through to cast a dim glow on her skin. Her head whipped to the forest. Light was falling between the trees, creating ominous shadows as an orange sun rose on the horizon. 

Dawn had come. 

"Back, we need to go back!" Reyna yelled, pulling Nico and Chiron back to their ranks. She sprinted at full speed, the Titan Sisters scrambling at their heels. 

The thoughts rambling through Reyna's brain paused as the deafening sound of a conch horn reverberating froze her in her tracks. 

It was Tartarus' horn. It sent fear flooding through her veins and struck terror into every person on that field. Campers let out cries of horror and trembled in their ranks. 

Reyna whirled around, sword jumping into her hand. They didn't have to time to return, they'd have to strike from where they were. 

She felt some squeeze her hand comfortingly and saw Nico backing her up with a determined expression. His sword of Stygian iron comforted her in knowing that she wasn't alone in this. 

Then the monsters burst out from between the trees. 

The rising sun made it almost poetic as creatures of every shape, size and walk of life started rampaging towards them. 

Nyx, the primordial of the dark, wielded a massive whip as she rode in on her Chariot of Darkness, her skeletal horses clanking with each step. Winged demons, arai, swooped in overhead, baring their fangs and reaching out their sharp claws. 

Every monster that Reyna had ever killed, every monster to have ever been reborn, was here. And they were heading right for her. 

Reyna had never felt so much fear in her life. Her limbs were weak and her knees trembled. She couldn't even form a coherent thought other than we're going to die. 

Titans, giants, primordials, monsters, invicta, and warriors alike charged from the trees like a flood of nightmares from the deepest depths of hell. 

Nyx raised her arms and screamed as she released a blast of midnight light. 

Shrieks and shouts erupted from the campers as they prepared to retreat. Reyna shielded her face instinctively. 

To her astonishment, a wall of light shimmered into appearance in front of the legion campers, and Nyx's dark energy was dispelled harmlessly. 

"Oh. My. God." Reyna rubbed her eyes in disbelief as the clouds shifted and the gods actually descended from the sky. 

All twelve Olympians, surrounded by a whole lot of other minor gods, all of them with an air of vengeance and a powerful aura. 

The army of monsters came to a screeching halt a few yards in front of Reyna, and a rift formed between them as a large figure made its way to the front. 

The twelve Olympians landed in front of Reyna, forming a protective line between them and their enemies. Reyna spotted Hestia huddled between Hephaestus and Hades. 

Pontus and Tartarus emerged at the head of their forces, Koios, Polyphorion, and a warrior standing behind them. 

"You would be wise to surrender," Pontus snarled at the gods, his voice booming across the land. 

Athena scowled ferociously. "This is our home," she declared fiercely. "And we will fight to the very end." 

And with that, the two armies clashed, and what could be the fall of Olympus began.


	44. His Fatal Flaw

"Oh my gods," Annabeth gasped as Festus dipped in altitude. They were honing in on Camp Half-Blood by the second, and soon she'd be home. 

It was still early in the day, but it seemed like the war had been waging on for hours already. 

From what she could see of Long Island, Tartarus' army has wreaked absolute havoc upon their ranks. Grass was scorched with obvious marks of grenades and fire, vines were scattered and trapping dead bodies — possibly the work of the satyrs. 

And the dead bodies; Annabeth was terrified that she would recognise the blank stares of old friends. Hellhounds ravaged the area, picking out lone, injured survivors. 

Annabeth wasn't sure how much longer the demigods could hold on. 

She prayed that her friends had made it back alive, not only because she couldn't bear the thought of losing them, but also because Percy had both the scythe and the spell. Without him, everything would've been for nothing. 

"We're touching down," Leo said with his jaw set in a grimace. She didn't blame his negativity; everything seemed so hopeless now that they had seen the true face of the war. 

"Wait!" Annabeth gestured wildly to a group of saytrs and dryads being massacred by the monsters. "They need our help!" 

Festus swooped down and landed on an invictus, the shell crunching horribly as the creature crumbled to dust. 

Annabeth promptly slid off the metal dragon and leaped into the fight. She'd seen a familiar pair of horns that she couldn't ignore. 

"Grover!" Annabeth yelled, sprinting rapidly to her friend. 

Grover was playing frantically on his reed pipes, encouraging the ground to swallow some monsters, but his eyes brightened instantaneously at the sight of one of his best friends. 

Annabeth leaped onto the harpy he was fighting and grappled with the monster. They tumbled through the air, Annabeth pummelling and slashing wherever she could with her dagger. 

By the time she hit the ground rolling, the harpy was simply bronze dust. She struggled to her feet, Grover pulling her up. 

Without a second thought, Annabeth flung herself at him, her arms squeezing him so tightly she thought she might break his ribs. 

"I missed you," she groaned, burying her face in his shoulder. Grover had always been one of the most important people in her life, especially after Percy had disappeared. 

He was a constant, someone she could rely on. 

Not seeing him for two months had unknowingly taken its toll. 

Grover staggered back with her full weight, patting her back awkwardly. Annabeth gave him a sisterly kiss on the cheek. 

"How's the fight been?" 

Grover pulled a face. "Horrible. They've got all the children huddled in the infirmary, but it's already crammed with injured demigods. Will and the healers are trying their best, but the death toll's climbing by the minute." 

Annabeth nodded vigorously. "We can stop them," she told him. "Well, Percy can." 

Grover's mouth fell open. "P-Percy? Like, Percy — Percy Jackson? Our Percy?" 

Annabeth knew he was holding back tears. "Yeah," she said, but her face fell. "I don't know if he made it back. Our ship exploded and..." She shook her head frustratedly. 

Grover exhaled through his teeth with a relieved expression. "Can't believe he's actually alive. Our empathy link was severed when he disappeared." He frowned. "Foul play, I suppose." 

"Annabeth!" Another voice. 

Annabeth whipped her head around to see Piper and Nico racing towards her. 

"Oh my gods!" Piper practically sobbed as she swept Jasper into her arms and Jason hugged her as tightly as possible. 

"Piper?" Annabeth nearly passes out from the overwhelming gratefulness that washed over her. "Oh my gods, Piper!" 

"No time for hugs!" Annabeth rushed. "Percy! Is he alive? Does he have all of it?" 

Piper nodded furiously. "The scythe, the spell." 

"What spell?" Grover asked in bewilderment. "Wait, are you talking about Kronos' scythe?" 

Nico waved a hand impatiently. "Yes, yes, it's complicated. Annabeth, is Percy going to host Ouranos?" 

She bit her lip. "If everything goes according to plan." 

Nico cursed under his breath. "We don't know how to contain it!" he protested. "Chiron said that the host can't control Ouranos' spirit other than release it. It could destroy Tartarus and all of us at the same time." 

"We'd need something to hold in an energy blast that big," Grover fired off. "A wall? A shield?"

"No, me." Annabeth ran a hair through her hair. "My powers; it all makes sense now. You'd need something strong enough to hold in an energy blast that big — I can do it." 

"Percy said you'd die from overexertion," Piper argued. "Annabeth, it won't help anyone if both you and Percy die trying to do this." 

"It's the only way!" Annabeth cried. "Don't you see? It's either this, or we all die. Wouldn't rather take the chance?" 

Piper fell silent. 

"This is what we've been sailing around for," Annabeth said bitterly. "Our first quest, the first Great Prophecy; me and Percy started all of this. Doesn't it make sense that we have to end it?" 

Grover fiddled nervously with his pan pipes. "I don't like this." 

"The Fates are cruel," Annabeth said with pursed lips. "We don't have any other choice."

"Okay, assume you're right," Nico cut in. "Percy doesn't know any of this. He doesn't even know if you're alive. What stops him from confronting Tartarus now and destroying us all in the process?" 

"He wouldn't do something so rash," Annabeth protested. 

"Sorry, are we talking about the same Percy?" Grover bleated. "Annabeth, he'd kill for you. It's his fatal flaw. Give up the world to save the people he loves." 

"I'm not one of those people anymore," Annabeth hissed. "You weren't there during the quest—" She closed her eyes. "Apate messed with my head, put a fake memory of Percy cheating on me in there. The way I've treated him..." 

"Annabeth, it doesn't matter," Piper said frustratedly. "One look at the boy and you just know that he's head over heels for you!" 

Annabeth gritted her teeth. "It doesn't matter anyway," she forced herself to think differently. "Whatever is between us, it'll still take both of us to kill a primordial." 

She sheathed her dagger. "I have to find him," Annabeth said helplessly. "I'm sorry. Can you guys handle this on your own?" 

Her friends looked at each other, and it struck Annabeth then that she'd become close to them all at different times, but in the end, here they were. 

"We'll be fine," Nico assured her. "Find him and end this." 

Annabeth made a humorous noise in the back of her throat. "No pressure." 

She forced herself to turn her back and take off back towards camp, her heart hammering wildly.

Everything was out in the open now. And the lives of everyone they knew and loved were at stake. 

What else was new? 

^^^^

Riptide slashed an arc into the air so quickly that the whistling sound actually broke the noises of clashing metal over the battlefield. 

Percy rolled under the giant's legs and sliced his upper thigh, making Polybotes snarl in anger. 

To set the scene, Percy was at Poseidon's side in an attempt to vanquish his father's giant bane. 

The Curse deflected every hit that Polybotes threw at him, but it didn't make him immune to being thrown around like a human football. 

Percy stood up with a dizzy groan as he stumbled around, trying to regain his balance. Polybotes had flung him into a tree. He probably had a major concussion, but at least he didn't have any splinters, right? 

"Dad!" Percy yelled in warning, seeing another giant sneak up behind him. 

The giant's long braids recalled the memory of Athena's bane — Enceladus. Percy remembered thinking his name was enchiladas. Yeah, that had really confused him for a bit there. 

Percy parried Enceladus' strike and kicked him away, thrusting his fist into the air so that a flurry of raindrops pelted him and sent him sprawling to the ground. Percy grinned as he felt the winds of a forming hurricane swirling around him. 

Athena leaped in to join the fight. "Finish Polybotes, then come help me," she shouted at him, spears flashing in the sunlight as she and Enceladus fought in a blur of limbs. 

Percy raced to his father's side, bounding up onto Polybotes' back, his legs hooking round the giant's shoulders as he threw himself on the ground, taking the giant with him. 

Percy sprang to his feet once again, the hurricane's winds buffeting Polybotes whenever he tried to get up. Raindrops from his personal storm turned to poison the moment they touched the giant. 

"Enough!" Polybotes roared, slamming his fist into the ground. The tremors knocked Percy off his feet and sent Poseidon into a state of unbalance. 

"Come on," Percy repeated under his breath as he tried to force his aching limbs to budge. Polybotes was edging closer to Poseidon, his large sword slamming again and again into Poseidon's trident. 

Poseidon hissed in pain when Polybotes finally disarmed him, the blade of his sword slicing into the god's wrist. Percy felt a shiver of fear ripple down his spine as he spotted the golden ichor dripping down. 

"And now," Polybotes sneered. "The world bids goodbye to the god of the sea. They won't remember you." 

Percy reaches out a hand in horror. "No!" 

Polybotes swung a hand back and a stream of poison erupted from his palm, ready to dispel Poseidon back to Tartarus. 

Then, a flash of silver. 

Athena leaped in front of Poseidon, her shield Aegis open, the snarling face of Medusa making Percy wince. The poison dripped off her shield aimlessly as the goddess whipped out her spear and flew at Polybotes. 

Percy staggered towards them, ensuring the Enceladus was properly stuck between in the winds while he finished Polybotes off. 

Athena blasted Polybotes away from her as Poseidon caused an earthquake that trapped his foot inside a crack in the ground. 

"You'll never win," Polybotes hissed as he glared up at the two Olympians. 

"Save it for next time, Polly," Percy growled, slashing Riptide down to decapitate the giant. 

When the celestial bronze sword made contact with the giant, Polybotes burst into bronze dust that picked up in the wind. 

Percy stumbled backwards, his vision flickering. Someone gripped his arm and held him steady. 

"Save your energy, son," Poseidon said gently. "Your part to play hasn't even come yet." 

Percy felt revitalised once his father squeezed his hand, probably something to do with the sea. He nodded tightly, knowing that Poseidon was talking about how he would soon have to host Ouranos. 

"We're not done yet, water boys," Athena murmured, drawing her spears again as Aegis shrunk back into her cloak. 

"Water boys?" Poseidon demanded. He was interrupted by Enceladus attacking him with flying knives. 

Athena shrugged. "Not the worst name I've called you." 

"Yeah," Percy said warily as he backed away from the giant. "I'd take it, Dad." He hacked at Enceladus, sending the giant to the ground. 

Enceladus swept his bulky legs at Percy's shins, knocking him over like a bowling pin. Percy slashed blindly above as he rolled over several times, narrowly avoiding Enceladus' knives. 

He reminded himself again that he now had iron skin. He could focus on the offensive this time. 

Percy leaped to his feet, circling the giant slowly. When Enceladus jumped forward to attack again, Percy slammed Riptide through the giant's gut, impaling him through the abdomen. 

He wrenched the sword out, panting as Enceladus staggered backwards, where Athena blasted him into oblivion. 

"Not too shabby," she noted. 

Percy gave her a grin that he hoped didn't come across as impertinent. 

"You know, Perseus," she cleared her throat. "I rarely make...mistakes. But it seems that I made one in my judgement of you." She glared at Poseidon. "Not a word." 

Poseidon closed his mouth, sticking a massive smirk. 

"If you wish to be with my daughter, you have my blessing," Athena swallowed. "I couldn't imagine anyone...better suited for her." 

Percy could've thought she was in pain by the way she was forcing her words out. 

"Thank you," he informed her. "But I don't think your blessing would really affect anything. Annabeth doesn't..." Percy trailed off. 

He really, really didn't know what was going on in Annabeth's mind. 

So she'd thought he was cheating on her. But that meant that she'd basically gotten over him in the five years that he'd been gone for. Percy didn't know if she was up to try again, or if she even wanted to. 

"Find her," Athena said firmly. 

Percy swallowed. "I don't even know if she's alive." 

"She has to be," Athena insisted. "She is essential to the prophecy, and to how this war will end." 

Percy frowned. "What?" 

"It doesn't matter," Athena shook her head. "Find her. It will all make sense with time." 

Percy's heart jumped in his chest. He'd thought of nothing else but Annabeth the entire ride back to camp, but now that he was here, not knowing whether she was alive or dead...

His train of thought came to a screeching halt as Percy's gaze zeroed in on two figures further up on a hill. 

He recognised the spindly hands and sharp, hawk-like features. 

"Excuse me, my lady," Percy said suddenly, capping Riptide as he started forward. "Dad. There are some people I need to speak to." 

Poseidon followed his gaze to the two silhouettes. 

Apate and Dolos. 

The gods of mischief. 

Percy's face was set with determination. He was getting to the bottom of all the trickery today.


	45. The Losses of War

"Why?" Percy demanded, his voice travelling as he breathlessly raced up the hill. He came to halt behind Apate and Dolos, who paused from surveying the battlefield to look at him. "Why did you do it? The fake memory? It reeks of you." 

The tall, skinny figures rotated to face him. Apate regarded him with a sneer. "Ah, so you found out." 

"It was hard," Dolos droned. "One of our finest pieces of trickery, and we couldn't take credit for it." 

"But why?" Percy said desperately, trying to understand. "Amusement to us struggle with each other? Do you take pleasure in watching our hearts break?" 

"Please," Apate scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. It was under our master's orders. Break apart the beloved couple — break apart the Seven. It's simple politics, Perseus. Nothing personal." 

Percy ground his teeth. "Nothing personal?" he growled. 

"Of course, politics means nothing now," Dolos said with a nonchalant yawn. "I'm afraid it's a battle. And we have to kill you now. Again, nothing personal." 

Both gods vanished into thin air, causing alarm bells to go off in his head. 

A massive blow struck Percy from behind, sending him sprawling to the ground. His vision thundered, the image of Dolos blurry and shaky. 

"The Curse of Achilles protects you, demigod," Dolos scowled. "But we'll find the spot eventually, don't you worry." 

Percy scrambled to his feet, his stomach churning like he was about to throw up. He raised a hand instinctively, and he felt the flat of Dolos' materialised sword slash at his palm. 

Percy coughed as his vision swayed once more. Blood spattered in his hand as he hacked up blood. 

"The last fall of Percy Jackson," Dolos mused with a smirk. "Let's kill you properly this time." 

Just as he flinched away from the god, a flying lump of metal slammed into Dolos, crashing away from Percy. 

"Clarisse!" he said in disbelief.

The daughter of Ares fought like a whirlwind of violence and destruction. Her electric spear swivelled in the air skilfully as she jabbed Dolos in the thigh and slammed the minor god into the ground. 

She grunted gruffly when Dolos crumpled to the ground. Clarisse threw a glance over her shoulder. "Thought you needed some help," Prissy." 

Percy couldn't suppress his smile. "Thanks. It's good to—" His words were cut off when Clarisse flung her arms around him, hugging him so tightly his ribs nearly cracked. 

His mouth hung open in stunned astonishment. "Are you—"

"Not a word, you idiot," Clarisse muttered. 

When she withdrew, the two demigods exchanged small grins in the middle of a grave battle. It was the reunion of two old friends who'd never truly agreed on anything except their friendship. 

Their was a crack of a whip as Apate materialised in front of them, her face twisted in a dangerous scowl. 

Gesturing to the god, Percy said, "So, ready to kill a god?" 

Clarisse brandished a spear, which cracked with electricity. "Always." 

Both of them flew at Apate at the same time, Percy immediately taking the left flank. Clarisse was someone else who he had been fighting alongside (or against) since he was 12, and Percy knew her moves like the back of his hand. 

She was a lot more offensive than Annabeth and often forgot to check her defence. So Percy assumed the role of defence for this fight, trying to jump in when Apate was distracted. 

"Percy!" Clarisse warned as she dodged Apate'a slash and slammed her across the waist. 

Percy whirled around and Riptide clashed with Dolos' sword with a sonorous clang. He winced at the sound before side-stepping and parrying another blow. 

Dolos wasn't as good a fighter than Apate, but his powers in trickery were much more prominent. He would vanish and reappear behind him every time Percy tried to attack. 

"That's my daughter!" came a triumphant roar. 

Percy didn't know whether to cheer or slap a palm to his forehead. 

Ares leaped into their battle, his chariot wheels rattling as they thundered towards Dolos. Of course, Dolos disappeared again, but Percy, this time, rapidly figured out where he would appear again. 

Percy leaped to the expected spot and slammed the hilt of his sword against Dolos' head. The minor god staggered backwards, giving Percy the opportunity of his open defence. 

Racing forward, Percy attempted the disarming manoeuvre and watched in satisfaction when Dolos' sword clattered to the ground. 

"Good night," Percy declared as he slammed the hilt of his sword into the back Dolos' head, sending the god into an unconscious state once again. 

When Dolos resembled an unmoving rag doll, Percy let out a sigh of relief and rolled his injured shoulder once again. 

Percy turned around, tightening his grip on Riptide when he saw Clarisse and Apate in a dangerous dance of weapons. Both were talented fighters and he could barely even catch all their moves. 

Ares was preoccupied with other monsters nearby, leaving Percy to rush to Clarisse's aid. 

He jumped into the fight, slashing Apate's side from behind. The god growled in pain as golden ichor leaked from the wound. Clarisse stabbed her in the thigh, sending Apate to the ground. 

Percy pressed Riptide against her clavicle, staring grimly at her as he panted from the effort of the fight. 

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't push Riptide even further," he said with a glare. 

"I'll leave," Apate said stably, but Percy could see the panic in her eyes. "I'll never hurt a demigod ever again." 

"Swear it on the Styx," Clarisse said firmly. 

Apate's eyes glinted with uncertainty and fear. "I swear on the River Styx that I will never harm another demigod." 

Percy relaxed, leaning back as Riptide released its hold on her. Apate inhaled sharply, grasping at her throat as she sat up. She gave each of them a glare before vanishing with a crack. 

Percy set down Riptide, battle exhaustion starting to creep up on him again. He'd forgotten just how much he had slept the first time he took on the Curse. 

"If it's even possible, you're worse at fighting than before," Clarisse said gruffly as she extended a hand. 

Percy chuckled. "Yeah, a little out of practice." 

"Five years, Jackson." Clarisse shook her head. "You're lucky I didn't kill you." 

Percy took her hand and groaned as she yanked him to his feet. "I guess." 

Clarisse offered a begrudging smile. 

Just as Percy returned it, Clarisse's expression collapsed into one of frozen horror. An agonising gasp escaped her mouth as her eyes filled with alarm. 

"Clarisse?" Percy demanded, rushing forward. "Clarisse?" 

There was a grotesque shink! as Dolos roughly pulled his sword out of Clarisse's back. 

"No!" Percy cried as Clarisse crumpled to the ground like a piece of paper in the wind, a blood oozing from the stab wound in her gut. 

Everything was happening in slow motion. Percy wanted to scream, cry, and yell at the same time. Horror jarred his vision and blurred his thoughts. Ares' furious roars were too faraway to comprehend. It was like being underwater. 

Dolos hacked out a bloody cough as he viewed his work triumphantly, his sword slick with Clarisse's blood. 

In a fit of rage, blood thundering past his ears, Percy slashed Riptide down in a ripping arc, the blade cutting through the god's neck like butter. 

Dolos couldn't even react before his decapitated head tumbled to the ground, spattering Percy in golden ichor. 

Everything regained its usual speed, and Percy stared in horror at what had just happened. He wanted to throw up at the sight of Dolos' disembodied head. 

"Live our your dismemberment forever," Ares growled. "Never shall death grant you mercy." He pointed his spear at the god and a bolt of white light struck Dolos, banishing him to Tartarus for the rest of his immortal life. 

The only sound was Percy's breathless pants. 

Riptide slid out of his hand and clattered to the ground as Percy spun around and stumbled towards Clarisse. He sank to his knees next to her broken form, tears burning in his eyes. 

"The infirmary," his voice cracked. "Ambrosia. Will can—he can heal you. Apollo. Someone. Come on, get up." When she didn't react, Percy grasped her shoulder and shook her. "Clarisse," he choked out. "Come on. We have to—come on." 

There was a strong hand on his shoulder that pulled him backwards gently. 

"She's gone," came Ares' trembling voice. Percy had never heard him sound so void of emotion. "It's too late." 

Percy wanted to yell, and punch him, and say that he was wrong. But looking at Clarisse's glassy eyes, he knew that the god was right. 

Percy reached out with shaking hands and softly closed her eyes, allowing her to finally rest in peace. 

"She's with Chris," he said quietly. "In Elysium. With the other heroes." 

"I know." 

They sat there for a while. Percy lost track of time. 

All he could think about was the dumb things he and Clarisse had done together. And all she'd never get to see. 

Percy scanned the battlefield miserably. Demigods were being cut down everywhere by the second. Most of them brave children who were so brutally killed. 

Olympus and the monsters were locked in a bloody stalemate. No one could win, no one could lose. They could only fight until one side gave in. 

Percy couldn't be responsible for that many deaths. He wouldn't. He could feel the spell and the scythe on his belt like a dead weight. 

"I have to end it," Percy said finally, his voice hoarse from the long silence. 

Ares glanced up at him. 

"The war," Percy amended. "I can't let anymore of my friends die." He struggled to his feet, picking Riptide up off of the ground. "I need to find Tartarus." 

^^^^^ 

Annabeth desperately searched for Percy. Unfortunately, the war was vast and she could search ever small fight for hours and never encounter him at all. 

It was late afternoon, which meant that the fight had already been going on for hours. Their forces were exhausted both individually and in numbers. 

The one silver lining was that they had everything they needed to destroy Tartarus. Annabeth could see that he was the enemy forces' main strategist, and his destruction would without a doubt send ripples of terror through his ranks. 

As she raced across camp, Annabeth caught, in the corner of her eye, sight of a familiar shield. It was Aegis; well, a smaller version of her mother's shield. 

"Thalia!" Annabeth yelled. Her friend was trapped inside a circle of hellhounds, all five monsters barking and growling at her threateningly. 

Annabeth reached out a hand to mimic a thrusting motion, and the group of hellhounds were disrupted and send sprawling in all directions. 

"You can do magic now?" Thalia demanded as she knocked an arrow and shot a hellhound in the maw. "Great," she muttered. 

Annabeth pulled out her dagger and helped Thalia dispel the rest of the monsters. They fought together smoothly, and even though they were in the centre of a battle, Annabeth was relieved to see Thalia again. 

Once the hellhounds were dead, Annabeth leaned against a tree to catch her breath, her pulse racing rapidly. 

"My hunters," Thalia said suddenly. "They were fighting Orion when I last saw them." 

Annabeth's gaze swept over the landscape. She squinted to see small figures dotting a spot near the trees, the silver circlet on Artemis' head sparkling in the sunlight. 

"There," she pointed to the horizon, already starting to run towards them. 

When the two demigods arrived, Annabeth was met with a sight of utter despair. Death hung in the air around them as Artemis and two of her surviving hunters stood at attention in honour of the six dead hunters on the ground. 

Annabeth swallowed, the grim sight making her stomach churn sickeningly. 

Bronze dust was all that remained of Orion, but it had been at the cost of six lives. Six lives. She could hardly get her head around it. 

When Annabeth glanced at Thalia, she realised with a start that these weren't just six lives. They were six friends. Six sisters. Six daughters. 

"Rest in peace, my sisters," she heard Thalia whisper as she bowed her head, a tear dropping from her eyes. 

Annabeth felt like she was intruding on a private moment, as Artemis and her hunters bade farewell to their fallen. 

"Sometimes, no matter how hard we try," cake a voice behind her. Annabeth glanced to her right to see Artemis standing beside her. The goddess' eyes shined with tears. "Evil prevails." 

Artemis pursed her lips. "Don't let the same happen with everyone else. Don't let their losses be in vain." 

"It's not up to me," Annabeth whispered hopelessly. "Percy has the spell and the scythe. He's the one who can end this." 

Artemis shook her head. "It's never been just him. You have to end this together." She studied the demigod's face. "You know this already. Go find him." 

Annabeth bit her lip. "I'll try."


	46. Such Irony

A harpy had Piper pinned down, and was preparing to feast on her tasty demigod flesh. Piper let out a yell as she kicked the monster off of her and scrabbled for Katoptris, which was lying beside her. 

Piper sat up and simultaneously stabbed the half-woman half-bird. The monster let out a deafening screech and burst into bronze dust that flaked down onto her hair and clothes. 

Brushing the dust off, Piper let out a sigh of relief. Her muscles were aching, and her brain was numb with tiredness. Giving birth had somehow temporarily numbed her battle senses, and it rather annoying. 

On the bright side, it seemed to have strengthened her abilities to charmspeak. She'd already convinced a whole legion of monsters to turn on each other with hardly a word. 

"Hey," came a breathless voice. Frank jogged over and pulled Piper to her feet. He checked her for wounds before checking himself. 

Piper opened her mouth to ask him where they were headed next, when she noticed the grey pallor of his cheeks. "What happened?" A sinking feeling grappled within before the words had even escaped her lips. 

Frank swallowed. "It's Will." 

Piper rounded the next tree and felt her eyes well up as she saw Nico leaning over a dying Will Solace. 

"Don't go," Nico sniffled. "Please. Will, I need you. Please." 

Piper felt Frank's arm snake around her as they approached their dying friend. They knelt down beside Nico, Piper burying her head in Frank's shoulder. 

"Nico," Will managed. A weak smile broke his features. "Hey, don't cry." 

Nico sobbed, "You absolute idiot. Why did you take that knife?" 

Will stared tearily at him. "I love you." 

Nico's hand clasped Will's so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "I've never loved anyone as much as I love you," he cried. "Gods, Will, please, don't go. You have to hold on." 

"It's ironic that I can't save myself," Will said softly. 

"I swear to Olympus," Piper threatened. "Get up, Will, or I'll charmspeak you to life." 

A half-sob half-laugh bubbled up in the back of Nico's throat. 

"Piper," Frank warned suddenly. There was the sound of elastic stretching as he drew his bow. Piper glanced up to see an arai swooping down on them, talons outstretched. 

Before he could knock an arrow, a golden arrow spring from the creature's neck and sent it spiralling to the ground. 

Piper looked behind her to see Apollo striding up to them. His brow was furrowed with concern, and all traces of his usual arrogance had disappeared completely from his features. 

"Nico, I need you to move," the god said firmly. 

"No," Nico said insistently. "I'm not leaving him." He protested between hiccups as Piper pulled him away. "I'm not—"

"Nico," Piper murmured as she forced herself to pull him back. Nico curled up into a helpless ball in her arms, and Piper found herself hugging him from behind. She buried her head in his shoulder, biting her lip as she watched Apollo kneel over Will. 

A string of words in Ancient Greek left the god's lips, and Piper only understood some of them. It was a spell; a healing spell. Even Nico ceased his struggling and watched with bated breath. 

Will's stab wound in his gut started to glow golden, and Piper had to turn away when the light grew too bright for her mortal eyes. 

When Apollo's voiced faded into silence, Piper turned back, and her eyes widened when she saw Will lying there, good as new. 

"I've been trying to heal as many as I can," Apollo explained, moving aside. "But I can't be everywhere at once." 

Nico flung himself to Will's side, grasping him in a tight hug. Piper exchanged an emotional smile with Frank as she watched them embrace. 

"I love you," Will whispered as he drew Nico in for a kiss. 

When they separated, Nico's face fell suddenly. 

"Can't believe I have to live with everything I said," Nico grumbled. "Damn." 

Will's lips quirked up in the corners. "So, you can't live without me, huh?" 

Piper smiled. This was what they were fighting for, wasn't it? Love, friendship, and good. Sometimes it was good to have a reminder of that. 

^^^^^

"Get them!" one of the nymphs shrieked as she leaped out of the small stream, attacking the legion of invicta. 

Leo found himself fighting alongside them, as well as dryads and satyrs, as fire grew along his skin and he burned holes through their shells. A metal hammer, heated to a shade of blue, was gripped in his hand as he smashed at enemy he saw. 

"Gah! I'm on fire!" 

Leo instantly extinguished himself and his eyebrows shot up in alarm when he spotted the satyr who had been lit aflame. He was hopping around on one foot (hoof?) and trying to beat out the small fire on his shirt. 

"Sorry, sorry," Leo rushed, but he couldn't help chuckling. It was pretty funny. 

When they had successfully put it out, the satyr breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thanks," he said. "Juniper wouldn't come near me if I had fire." His orange Camp Half-Blood shirt was a little charred, but other than that, he was left unscathed. 

Leo stared at the satyr. Curly hair, nervous bleats. "Are you Grover?" 

His expression morphed into one of happiness. "Yeah! You're Leo, right?" 

Leo nodded enthusiastically. "I've heard a lot about you, actually. Percy always talks about his best friend."

Grover visibly brightened. "He said that?" 

"Of course," Leo assured him. 

"I haven't seen him in five years," Grover said wistfully. "Our empathy link is so weak it's practically been broken. I'm afraid it'll be strange between us." 

Leo shook his head. "It won't. Percy's mostly still himself." 

Grover cocked an eyebrow. "Mostly?" 

"Nothings attacking us at the moment..." Leo glanced around. "Okay, so there's this thing going on between him and Annabeth." 

"Is it the weird tension thing?" Grover said, intrigued. 

"Yes!" Leo cried. "What is that?" 

"Oh my gods!" Grover nodded vigorously. "It's so annoying. They've been doing that ever since we were 12, and I had to go on quests with them!" 

Leo snickered. "Man, I thought Jason and Piper were bad." 

"I saw Annabeth earlier," Grover noted. "She said that they kind of broke up." 

Leo winced. So much had happened on that quest, he could hardly keep track. "Yeah, it's complicated." 

Grover opened his mouth, probably to ask another question, but a big thundering of the ground interrupted him. 

"What on the name of Pan is that?" Leo heard Grover whisper. 

A large figure marched into the clearing, backhanding a dryad and sending her flying into the ground. 

The giant was twenty feet tall, with skin and hair as dark as charcoal. His armour smouldered in the air, sparking as he walked. 

Leo muttered a curse under his breath.

"I am Mimas!" the giant roared, slamming a fist onto his chest. "Bane of Hephaestus! Slayer of plans and rational thought!" 

Leo recalled Annabeth and Piper returning shaken and injured after fighting Mimas in the temple of Phobos and Deimos. Annabeth had nearly died, and her mental state had been far too unstable. 

"He's killing the trees," Grover yelped miserably. He was right. Mimas held a sledgehammer that he used to break every tree he passed, which sent dryads falling to the ground as their life sources were killed. 

"You circle round, and I attack from the front?" Leo said breathlessly. He slapped a palm to his forehead. "Wait, no, plans don't work." 

"Run!" Grover yelled, and Leo high-tailed it just in time for the sledgehammer to brush the ground where he'd been standing a moment ago. 

"Son of Hephaestus!" Mimas growled, swinging his sledgehammer dangerously. Leo ducked, narrowly avoiding the mass of metal. "No amount of thinking will defeat me!" 

"Bold of you to assume I think!" Leo shouted, flying at the giant. He clung with his arms around Mimas' neck, his eyes widened in terror as the giant tried his best to fling him off. 

This was what Leo was best at, wasn't it? He always had random instincts and buzzing energy. Now he could follow them. 

Leo struggled to climb into the giant's back, skilfully pulling a long rope out of his tool belt and using it to wrangle round the giant's neck like a lasso. 

"Grover!" Leo called. "Some help!" 

The satyr had been fumbling for his panpipes before, but now he was playing them.

"Is that Hillary Duff?" Leo demanded incredulously. 

Vines started to circle round Mimas' feet, binding him to the ground and holding his arms back. Leo desperately held on for dear life while he was tossed around like a rag doll. 

During this strange rodeo, Leo remembered that giants had to be killed by a demigod and a god alike. Without a god, anything they did here was useless. 

"We need a god!" Leo yelled. 

He watched as Grover's eyes turned a shade of green, and his facial features went slack. 

Leo called out frantically. "Grover? What's happening?" 

Moments before all hell broke loose, Leo remembered something Percy had told him. Grover was the host of the spirit of Pan. It was usually dormant, but called on the god's powers in times of need. 

Leo prayed that this was a time of need, and that he was right about it. With one final jerk, Leo leaped off the giant's back, plowing into the ground below as he scrambled away. 

Grover opened his mouth, and Leo expected a shout or cry, but the strangest, weirdest sound came out. 

It was sort of a cross between a lion's roar and a bird call, but he couldn't exactly place it. But the cry sent shivers down Leo's spine, and he wanted to uproot himself and run away. 

It seemed that Grover's cry of panic had the intended effect on Mimas. The giant instantly leaped up in fright and stumbled over himself in an attempt to get away. 

"Now!" Leo yelled, and the dryads, satyrs and nymphs all charged the giant in a large mass, attacking and making sure that the fallen giant didn't get up. 

Leo found his hammer alit with flames once again, and he marched up to the giant, a grim look on his face. 

"Nighty, night," he muttered before rearing back his hand and slamming it into Mimas' face. 

The giant exploded into bronze dust the moment Leo's hammer hit his face, leaving only his sledgehammer behind. Leo shook the dust out of his hair and picked up the sledgehammer. 

"Nice job," Leo commented, giving Grover a high-five in the air. 

Grover smiled. "Not too bad yourself." 

Leo followed his concerned gaze to see another wave of monsters approaching from the beach. 

"We got this," Grover reassured him. "Go find somewhere else where your powers are needed more." 

Leo grinned. "Thanks. It was nice meeting you," he offered. He wasn't quite sure when his powers became revered instead of feared, but he liked it. 

With that, Leo jogged away from the group of nature spirits and into the forest. 

^^^^^

Hazel slashed her longsword across the midriff of one of the Laistrygonian giants. They had ambushed her on her way back to the infirmary to stock up on ambrosia. 

"Hazel!" came a yelp. It was Leo who had appeared in the clearing, and Hazel was relieved to see that help had arrived. 

With another demigod, they slaughtered the giants without much issue. Leo was left with a nasty gash on his elbow, but they were both alive. 

"Pit stop," Hazel instructed firmly, handing him a piece of ambrosia. "You're going to bleed out of you don't do something about that." 

As she handed him the godly food, her wedding band flashed in the sunlight, putting the ghost of a smile on her face. 

Leo followed her gaze and grinned. "I can't believe you're married," he said bewilderedly, munching on the ambrosia. 

Hazel nodded and exhaled slowly. "Yeah, me neither." She bit her lip. "I mean, Frank could be dead out there, and I wouldn't know." 

"He'll be fine," Leo said confidently. "It's Frank. Nothing can kill a bear that big." 

Hazel laughed and elbowed him in the side. "Gods, we've come so far." 

Leo nodded. "Agreed. Remember when I used to like you?" 

Both of them snorted simultaneously. 

Hazel glanced at him. Leo was basically her brother. She couldn't see him in any other light. They'd become such good friends that Hazel would consider him one of her best friend, and yet, she could never imagine herself being with him in that way. 

Leo's smile dropped when he suddenly scrambled to his feet. "Watch it," he warned. 

Hazel turned around and wanted to scream in frustration when she saw Clytius approaching from afar. 

Clytius was Hecate's bane, and he absorbed all light. Beside him was another figure, a glowing Titan, who Hazel assumed was Hyperion — Titan of the Sun. 

"Great," Hazel muttered. "Just great." 

She slid off the rock she'd been sitting on and sheathed her longsword. This required the Mist, something she needed her full concentration to manipulate. 

Hyperion roared when he spotted the two demigods, and his outstretched arms sent sparks flying in all directions. 

Hazel heard Leo swear under his breath when the trees were lit on fire by the Titan. 

"Put them out and take Clytius with you," Hazel murmured. "I'll distract Hyperion." 

Leo gave her a worried look, but they didn't really have much of a choice at the moment. He raced forward, absorbing flames as he went, a kind of reverse to his powers that Hazel had never quite seen before. 

Clytius scowled when he saw Leo zipping through the forest and started rushing after the demigod. 

Hazel focused on the Titan. He was the bigger threat at the moment — he could kill her with one fireball and she'd never even know it was coming. Clasping her hands together, Hazel imagined the walls growing around them, snaking passageways as they circled around the Titan and trapped him in an infinite maze. 

Sure as she imagined it, the Labyrinth formed right before her eyes, growing like a living organism around Hyperion. His roars became muffled as the roof materialised over his head, the light blocked out by the obsidian walls. 

Seconds before Hazel could complete the structure, something struck her from behind, sending her flying with a dark wound on the back of her head. 

She struggled dizzily to her feet, hands outstretched towards Hyperion as she desperately remade the Labyrinth before it fell. 

It had been Clytius who had attacked her from behind. He must've lost Leo and returned to face her. 

"Come on, come on," Hazel said frustratedly as she had to release the Labyrinth once more to dodge Clytius' attacks. Drawing her longsword, Hazel frantically parried and dodged the silent giant's relentless strikes. 

She slashed at his knees, the only mark she'd made, but one glance over her shoulder told her that Hyperion was moments away from escaping. 

Hazel growled as she mimicked a pushing movement towards Clytius, and a mass of precious stones and gems swallowed him up. 

She bounded away from the buried giant and one last time, the Labyrinth started growing. 

"You can't defeat me," the Titan roared. "I'm the Titan of Light!" 

"I liked your wife better!" Hazel yelled. 

"You can't—" Hyperion was cut off as the Labyrinth sealed itself off above his head, trapping him inside the deadly maze forever. 

The Labyrinth sunk into the ground once again, disappearing without a trace. 

Hazel nearly collapsed with exhaustion, but she forced herself to remain upright. She had to get out of there before Clytius extracted himself from the stones. 

An idea popped into her head. 

Hazel winced as she tried once again to pull the Labyrinth to the surface. A small opening to a tunnel spread across the ground, gaping into darkness. 

She peered down it uncertainly. It was her fastest way out of here and the fastest way to help. 

Almost immediately, Clytius made her decision for her. Hazel knew that he had emerged once the air around her grew significantly colder. Leaping into the tunnel, Hazel started her long sprint through the tunnel. 

She had to engage both the Mist as well as her underground senses as she navigated the maze. 

Turn right towards camp, duck under a ceiling of spikes, jump over the chasm to Tartarus. 

Hazel could head Clytius' foreboding footsteps getting nearer, and the ground trembled with his weight. 

"Almost there," she panted as she took another left and sprinted for dear life towards the exit. 

Thrusting her hands forward, Hazel pulled the exit to the Labyrinth open and tumbled out of the maze. 

"No!" she shouted, clapping her hands together in a thunderous motion, and the Labyrinth's exit snapped itself shut with a hiss. 

Hazel lay on the ground with her eyes closed for a few seconds, trying to catch her breath. 

The sounds of metal clashing and battle cries told her that she was in the centre of the fight. 

Hazel glanced up to see Half-Blood Hill standing to her right, and the sun nearly setting on this historical day.


	47. The Dryad Hero

The landscape was a blur as Annabeth sprinted through the chaos. Everywhere lay carnage of the battle; the corpses of demigods, warriors, and invicta alike lying as evidence of the fight. 

"Annabeth!" came a frantic shout. 

Screeching to a halt, Annabeth searches for the source of the cry — it was Drew Tanaka. She was losing terribly against a bunch of invicta, and had a nasty gash along her cheek. 

Annabeth flew at the monsters, stabbing the first invictus' shell. The monster roared as she grabbed onto the dagger with both hands and dragged it downwards, creating a large crack in its shell. 

It took most of her strength, but the shell soon cleaved in half and collapsed, leaving the harmless water spirit to soak into the grass below. 

Annabeth glanced up to see Drew taking care of another invictus, but the third one was approaching her unopposed from behind. Leaping between them, Annabeth parried the monster's massive sword and slashed at its knees. 

The monster leaped over her dagger and tried to punch her out of the way, but Annabeth danced around the lumbering invictus. They fought a battle of metal as Annabeth blocked, dodged and landed blows. 

Soon, the monster left its right side open, and Annabeth took the opportunity to slice cleanly through its arm and yank over its sword. Dropping her dagger momentarily, Annabeth swung the gigantic sword and sliced cleanly through the invicta's abdomen. 

Hearing the whistling of a sword, Annabeth whirled around with her blade raised instinctively to block the other invictus' strike. She parried it with a groan and stumbled away for it. 

Reaching down an arm, Annabeth picked her dagger up off the floor and wielded both blades determinedly. 

Her gaze sidled to where Drew was sprawled on the ground behind the monster, bleeding from her arm as she struggled to regain consciousness. 

Come on, Drew, Annabeth prayed silently. 

She gritted her teeth and leaped at the invictus again. This time, the monster saw her coming. With her depleted energy and heavy sword, Annabeth wasn't so quick to react. The sword caught her in the gut, leaving a horrible slash below her ribs. 

Annabeth let out a pained cry and crumpled to her knees, gritting her teeth and squeezing her eyes shut as she focused on maintaining shaky breaths. 

"Hey, ugly!" 

Her eyes constantly flickered open and close, giving her a flashing image of Drew jumping onto the monster's back from behind. Drew's shrieks pierced the air, but miraculously, she held on. 

As Annabeth tried her best not to pass out from the pain, she watched as Drew pulled the invictus away from her and hacked at its shell like a lunatic. 

To her disbelief, it seemed to be working. Drew created holes in the monster's shell more quickly than it could seal them, and bit by bit, the water spirit started to gush out. A few more seconds and Drew leaped off the invictus' back, landing on the ground with a slight wobble, as the monster crumbled into dust. 

The next moment was a big flash of red for Annabeth as she tried to move and was rewarded with the feeling of a spear ripping through her gut all over again. She let out a painful cry, her breaths shallow. 

"Oh, come on," she heard Drew mutter as the daughter of Aphrodite knelt down in front of her. "You're supposed to be smart. Who doesn't bring godly food with them to a battle?" 

Annabeth took her ambrosia gratefully, and they sat there in silence as she felt the wound close up and her skin start to knit together. 

"You okay?" Drew asked as she pulled Annabeth to her feet. The other girl nodded half-heartedly. 

"Thanks, by the way," Annabeth said. She and Drew might not have been the best of friends, but they respected each other. Annabeth had saved her from a bunch of slut-shaming bullies last year, and Drew had been good help in the love department. 

"I think I saw Miranda and Katie somewhere through there," Drew said vaguely, gesturing towards the forest. 

Annabeth scanned the scenery warily. "Yeah, we should probably go help them." 

As the two of them jogged through the wilderness, it only took a few seconds for Annabeth to notice what Drew had mentioned. 

There was a whole bunch of dracanae attacking the two daughters of Demeter, the snake-women wielding their spears threateningly with evil glints in their eyes. 

"Oh, Zeus," Annabeth murmured as she saw the number of monsters they'd have to fight. It was practically a whole legion — maybe almost twenty of them. 

Drew was the first to join the fight, slashing at a dracanae with her sword and decapitating it. Annabeth impaled the monster Miranda needed help with from behind, and whirled around to fight the two others trying to get her from behind. 

Katie let out a yell and raised her arms, bringing up a mass of twisting vines from the ground that grappled for the monsters and incarcerated them for Miranda to easily kill. 

One of the other dracanae hissed furiously and tried to free her brethren, but her spear rebounded and cut into the bark of the tree behind her. There was a shriek as a blur of green flew at the monster, a small dagger beating it back. 

Annabeth recognised the elfish face and green-tinged skin. "Juniper!" She rushed forward to hug the dryad, who returned it surprisedly. 

"Are you okay?" Annabeth asked concernedly, seeing her gaunt look. 

Juniper nodded vigorously. "I just came back to protect my tree." She gestured to the tree the dracanae had sliced, and Annabeth recalled Grover showing it to her ages ago. 

Juniper and Grover had been together for almost eight years now. Annabeth had actually attended their wedding a year into Percy's disappearance. They also had two adorable children — Angie and Cody. 

The dryad let out a battle cry as she wrapped the dracanae in string of tight vines and swiftly decapitated the monster. 

"Hellhounds! Guys, there're more!" 

Annabeth whirled around to attention at Drew's voice. She followed her gaze and spotted the four massive hellhounds galloping up alongside flying harpies to join the monsters. 

Cursing under her breath, Annabeth performed her best taxi cab whistle as she dodged a strike from one of the snake-women. She leaped into the air, dangling dangerously with one hand gripping the harpy's right wing. 

The winged woman shrieked as Annabeth unbalanced her and they crashed into the ground with an explosion of soil. 

Leaping to her feet, Annabeth whistled again, her eyes darting around. 

The harpy attacked from behind, shredding up part of her t-shirt. Annabeth grabbed her dagger of the floor and threw it like a knife. The blade lodged itself in the harpy's chest, and the monster promptly burst into a shower of dust. 

Before Annabeth could catch her breath, a heavy weight crashed into her from the side, sending her sprawling to the ground. 

She blinked repeatedly, but a large paw kept her down as a loud panting entered her ears. 

"Mrs O'Leary!" Annabeth laughed as she pushed her pet hellhound off. She'd nicknamed her "Leah" after inheriting her post-Percy's disappearance. "C'mon, girl, we have a fight to go to." 

Mrs O'Leary's tail wagged so quickly that the wind it produced sent harpies falling out of the air. 

A low growl alerted Annabeth as well as her dog to the imminent danger. She scrambled to her feet, one hand on Mrs O'Leary's maw as her dog snarled ferociously at the approaching hellhounds. 

Mrs O'Leary seemed a little confused as to fighting her own kin, but it appeared her protective instincts over Annabeth won out. 

"Stay back!" Juniper yelled as she stepped towards Mrs O'Leary. Annabeth hid a smile when she saw how the dryad had warmed up to the friendly hellhound. 

The first hellhound leaped at Annabeth, clashing mid-air with Mrs O'Leary. Without hesitation, the second hellhound attacked Annabeth, leaving Juniper to fend off the third. 

Annabeth tried her best to combat the monsters' strategy; to isolate them. Mrs O'Leary was holding her own, especially with her new personalised armour from the Hephaestus cabin. But Juniper was struggling to defend herself, and a fourth hellhound, seeing the ripe opportunity, attacked her from behind. 

"No!" Annabeth gasped as Juniper collapsed with a nasty slash on her back from the monster's paws. She raced away from the hellhound and towards Juniper, where she beat back the hellhounds trying to finish her friend off. 

Mrs O'Leary had almost finished off her opponent, but in the meantime, Annabeth couldn't exactly fight three hellhounds by herself. 

She focused on drawing them away from Juniper, attracting them with loud noises as she backed away from the injured nature spirit. Annabeth leaped onto the hellhound's back in a surprise ambush, stabbing the monster's maw until it disintegrated. 

As she hit the ground running, Annabeth sliced at another one, injuring its hind legs. She parried off a strike from the hellhound's claws and dodged the other. 

A howl resounded as Mrs O'Leary leaped at the second hellhound. Annabeth sent a triumphant prayer to her mother as she quickly finished off the last hellhound. Within a minute, both were gone. 

"Hey, are you okay?" Annabeth cooed as she inspected Mrs O'Leary for any injuries. Her armour was slightly scratched, and there was a cut on her snout, but other than that, she was fortunately safe. 

Mrs O'Leary suddenly put her nose to the ground as she began following some sort of trail. 

Annabeth frowned. "What?" When she looked up, Annabeth felt her stomach churn in horror. 

Juniper lay beside her splintered tree, her chest rising and falling too slowly to be a good sign. 

"Juniper!" Annabeth cried as she rushed to the dryad, stumbling as she knelt down beside her. She fumbled for her ambrosia, but the one logical part of her brain reminded her that dryads couldn't take godly food. 

"You're gonna be fine," she mumbled brokenly, her hands shaking as she assessed the extent of the other girl's wounds. 

"We both know that's not happening." Juniper's trembling voice was barely above a whisper. 

Mrs O'Leary sniffed at Juniper's hand, a forlorn look in her eyes. 

"You're not so bad," Juniper whispered to her, a small smile breaking across her features. 

There was a large hellhound bite in Juniper's right side that Annabeth hadn't noticed earlier, but now couldn't fail to recognise as a fatal wound. Her dead tree meant that she couldn't regenerate or heal. 

"Tell Grover I love him. And the kids. Don't let them forget me," Juniper managed, blood trickling out the corner of her mouth. 

Annabeth suppressed the urge to throw up at the gory, horrendous sight. Her mind was numb and dizzy as she tried to comprehend the happenings in front of her. 

"Rest," Annabeth choked out. "You're a hero. You've done everything for us." 

Juniper's small hand darted out and gripped Annabeth's. The dryad's gaze hardened for a split second. "Win." 

Her hand went slack in Annabeth's, and she knew that it was over. 

Annabeth swallowed. Juniper's last word echoed in her mind. Win. 

Juniper's body faded into golden sparkles that swept round in a circular motion, highlighting a small sapling to Annabeth. The daughter of Athena brushed the tears from her eyes and gathered the sapling in her hands. 

Leaving the sapling beside Juniper's dead tree, Annabeth made a silent promise to bring the sapling back and plant it up on Half-Blood Hill. A fitting commemoration for a hero. 

Annabeth swung a leg over Mrs O'Leary as she instructed the hellhound to bring her to the other demigods. They might still need help. 

As she entered the grove of trees, Annabeth saw Katie and Drew leaning over the unmoving corpse of Miranda Gardiner. 

"No," Annabeth breathed as she slid off of Mrs O'Leary, staggering towards her friends. 

Another friend dead. 

"She went down when the harpies attacked her," Katie managed between hiccups. Tears poured from her eyes. Miranda had been her best friend for most of her camp life. 

Drew looked around. "Where's Juniper?" she asked quietly, visibly subdued from the fight. 

Annabeth bit her lip. "She didn't—she didn't make it." 

"Go find Percy." 

Annabeth blinked. "What?" 

"Find Percy," Drew repeated. "You said that he was our only hope. So go find him, and avenge our fallen friends." 

Annabeth shook her head. "I don't know where he is." 

Hours ago, she'd thought he was dead. Now he was alive, but in danger of dying within the next few minutes if they awakened Ouranos again. 

"Go," Katie said insistently. "Go back to camp, and find him." 

Annabeth chewed on her lower lip, but she obliged, climbing onto Mrs O'Leary's back again. 

"Back to camp," she whispered to the hellhound. 

Annabeth gave Drew and Katie a promising nod before she was thrust into the shadow world of darkness.


	48. End of the Line

When Mrs O'Leary exited the shadows, Annabeth's inhaled with a shuddering breath as the chills crawled away. 

Shaking the disorientation from her head, Annabeth leaped off of her hellhound's back. "You can go find someone else to help," Annabeth told her dog tentatively. As much as she didn't want to, she had to do this next part alone. 

Mrs O'Leary practically frowned and whined unwillingly. Annabeth pointed to where Chiron was fighting off a warrior. "There, he needs you." 

Her hellhound gave her one last parting lick before bounding off. 

Annabeth exhaled deeply as she watched her dog leave. She had never felt so alone. 

Drawing her dagger, Annabeth began her search for Percy. Her eyes scanned the landscape, but she couldn't—

Annabeth's heart nearly stopped. 

There he was on Half-Blood Hill, fighting for his life. Invicta and warriors alike lay on the ground, Riptide wreaking destruction upon whoever dared to challenge him. 

His dark silhouette against the setting sun was almost poetic, and it taunted her. You can't have him, a little voice in her head sneered. Win the war and he could die. 

Alarm bells in Annabeth's mind broke her train of thought. A giant was creeping up behind Percy, a large sword aiming for his weak spot, whether by luck or by plan didn't matter. 

"Percy!" Annabeth cried as she raced up the hill, her feet tearing through the grass as she desperately tried to reach him in time. 

Annabeth slashed her hand down in a cutting moving, and the knife flew out of the giant's hand with a painful crack. The giant roared as Annabeth barrelled into him with a force to challenge itself. 

Annabeth drew her dagger and fought blindly, relying purely on her instincts as she landed kicks, cuts, and punches. 

When the giant was gone, Annabeth stumbled backwards, her back to Percy's as they fought the rest of the monsters. 

And it was just the two of them again on Half-Blood Hill, engaged in a battle of life or death. 

Annabeth broke their dynamic to leap after a dracanae, disarming the monster before using the spear to decapitate three of them. 

That was the last of them. 

Panting terribly, Annabeth dropped the spear and nearly fell to her knees with exhaustion.

Her eyes flickered up, and against all odds, her gaze met Percy's across the battlefield. 

All at once, everything else disappeared. Whatever war they were fighting, whatever monsters were out for them next — Annabeth didn't care. 

In a second, Percy became the boy with the goofy grin she'd fallen in love with all those years ago. They'd grown into different people over the years, but that had never changed. 

She didn't realise it when her feet started propelling her forward into a run, as if they were acting of their own volition. 

Annabeth smashed her lips on Percy's as his arms wrapped around her waist. 

The world exploded into light around her. It was like a fire had been lit inside her, and Annabeth never wanted to let him go. Percy groaned feverishly as they kissed passionately, her hands tightening around her neck. 

A half-sob escaped her as they moulded against each other like puzzle pieces. For Annabeth, everything was once again right with the world. 

"I'm sorry," Annabeth mumbled against his lips. She pulled Percy into a hug, burying her face in his shoulders. 

His hands gripped her tightly, and she heard him take in a shaky breath. 

"This is it, okay?" Percy's voice broke. "You and me forever." 

Annabeth laughed tearily as she nodded fervently. Her hands slid down to thread her fingers in his. 

Annabeth's eyes sprung open in horror as the reasons she'd been looking form him slid back into her mind. "The spell," she rushed. "It's too much power. I have to hold it in before it destroys camp. 

Percy's eyebrows furrowed. "What?" 

"Ouranos'e energy is too much for a mortal body," she said impatiently. "I have to make sure it doesn't escape." 

Fear flickered in Percy's eyes. "Do it far away from here." 

"What?" she demanded. 

Percy ran a hand through his hair frustratedly. "If it's enough energy to destroy camp, you could die doing this." 

"So could you!" Annabeth cried. 

"Get out of here," Percy begged her, his eyes shining with desperation. 

Annabeth shook her head furiously. "Not without you." 

"Ah," a voice that made Annabeth wince twisted her heart. "Young love." Tartarus approached them with a lazy smirk. 

Percy and Annabeth stumbled back, Percy instinctively holding his arm in front of her. 

He felt Annabeth's hand slide into his jacket and nimbly pull the spell out. Glancing at her, Percy nodded infinitesimally. So they were going along with her plan. 

With a loud yell, Percy threw down Riptide and drew Backbiter, the weapon flashing between a sword and a scythe. Annabeth retreated, unfurling the spell in her hands. 

"You'll pay for the lives you've taken today," Percy growled at Tartarus. He had to distract the primordial from attacking Annabeth so that she could perform the spell. 

"Demigod lives are meaningless," Tartarus sneered. "An ant does not quarrel with a lion. Give up, Perseus. You know you cannot win." 

Releasing a furious shout, Percy and Tartarus clashed with a painful clang. 

Annabeth stumbled away from them as she started to read the spell. The Ancient Greek spewed from her lips in a stream of words she couldn't even understand. They were too old for her to recognise them. 

Before she could get past the first two lines, a heavy force tackled her by the legs, tripping her over. The scroll slipped from her hand mid-fall. 

"No," Annabeth hissed, groggily getting to her feet. 

Her eyes widened when she saw the drakon that was circling her, it's gleaming golden eyes piercing her with a stare of sheer terror. Annabeth felt her limbs freeze up in fear, and her mind blank into nothingness. 

The drakon's tail and long body had trapped her inside, and she had nothing but her dagger. 

When the massive serpent crashed towards her with its five-foot long fangs bared, Annabeth reverted to her basic survival instincts. She rolled out of the way, her dagger jumping into her hand. 

Annabeth sprinted along the drakon's body, but she couldn't outrun its jaws forever. As she neared the monster's snout, Annabeth tightened her hands into fists as she felt her telekinetic powers building up in a painful pull to her gut. 

With a deafening shout, Annabeth made the impossible jump onto the drakon's back, where she grabbed onto its mane in an attempt not to get flung off. 

The drakon shrieked and bucked in an attempt to get the pesky demigod off its back, but Annabeth clung on for dear life. 

As it trampled across the hill, Annabeth was shaken around like a rag doll. Her insides felt jumbled up and she felt too nauseous to even think straight. 

Annabeth's gaze caught on the one obstruction in the drakon's path — Thalia's pine tree. 

An idea bordering lunacy formed in Annabeth's brain, but it was her only option. 

Annabeth raised her arms in a pulling motion as the drakon approached the pine tree. 

A low creaking sound resounded, probably attracting the attention of multiple demigods. The roots of Thalia's tree were cracking, breaking as Annabeth forced it out of the ground. 

Sorry, Thalia, she mentally prayed. 

A cry of effort burst forth from Annabeth's lips as her last spurt of energy ripped the tree completely from the ground, spraying soil in all directions. 

The tree hurtled towards Annabeth, where she grabbed it by the trunk, balancing the weight with her powers. Raising the tree above her head, Annabeth thrust it downwards — roots first — into the drakon's maw. 

The sheer force from her powers and the weight of the tree impaled the drakon through the head, leaving Thalia's pine tree sticking grotesquely out of the serpent's head. 

The drakon's body relaxed into a still corpse as Annabeth rolled off its back with her vision flickering black from exhaustion. Her aching limbs felt like they weighed a tonne, but Annabeth forced herself to stand up, using the drakon's body as an aid to pull herself to her feet. 

^^^^^

On the other side of Half-Blood Hill, Percy was losing an impossible battle. 

There were bruises on his side and his gut, where Tartarus had struck with so much force that the impact Percy felt had left him injured. His sword arm was now numb from holding up Backbiter for so long, and Percy didn't know how much longer he could keep going on his feet. 

Then came the blow Percy was afraid of. 

Tartarus swept his sword around Backbiter's hilt, and Percy's hand weakened, allowing the primordial to disarm him. 

Backbiter clattered to the ground as Tartarus slammed the flat of his blade into Percy's knees, forcing him to keel over. 

"You think I don't know what goes on in the rivers of Hell," Tartarus snarled menacingly as he pressed the point of his blade into Percy's Achilles spot. 

Percy gasped painfully as the threat of death sent ripples of agony over his body. 

"Any last words?" Tartarus growled. 

There were too many. 

Percy wanted to see his mum, Paul and Estelle. He wanted to be her big brother and tell her nighttime stories about his adventures. He wanted to bake blue cookies with his mother and watch as her smile lines inevitably crinkled when he did something stupid. 

Percy wanted to thank Chiron and his friends for never giving up on him, even after five years. He wanted to see Nico, Grover, Reyna, and every other friend he'd missed, and tell them how much they meant to him. 

Most of all, Percy wanted Annabeth. He wanted a life with her. He wanted to wake up in the morning and see her sleeping soundly or reading a book under the light of her bedside lamp. 

Percy wanted to tell her that he loved her.

And Percy look up at Tartarus, the man who was taking all of this away. Everything his life could be. 

"Not for you," Percy answered quietly. 

Tartarus' triumphant expression turned into one of ugly dissatisfaction by seeing his defiant prey. The primordial raised his sword and prepared to release the final blow. 

Percy closed his eyes, trying to visualise something happier. 

Movie night with his best friends as the smell of his mother's cooking wafted in from the kitchen. 

"Argh!" Tartarus' malicious yell caused Percy to spin around. 

Annabeth had stabbed the primordial from behind, and she leapt back as Tartarus swipes his sword at her. 

Percy struggled to his feet as Annabeth engaged in the most dangerous of all her fights. 

She wasn't protected by the Achilles curse like he was — Annabeth was in far too much danger fighting him alone. 

Percy fumbled for Riptide in his pocket as he picked up Backbiter with his other hand. 

Annabeth was nearing too many fatal blows. One slip up and she would be dead. 

Finally, it came. Tartarus slashed Annabeth's arm all the way down to the bone, and she collapsed with agonising pants. 

A hurricane was brewing around Percy. The winds buffeted Tartarus back, as the storm clouds overhead left pellets of rain hammering down on him. 

Fuelled by anger and a certain decisiveness, Percy flew at Tartarus with Riptide and Backbiter in either hand. 

Primordial versus demigod. They fought back and forth, stepping over the drakon's corpse. 

Percy wanted desperately to check on Annabeth, but he couldn't take his eyes off of Tartarus for even one second. He was giving it everything he had, but Tartarus hardly even batted an eyelid at every blow he landed. 

Percy's thunderstorm momentarily swept Tartarus off of his feet for a second, and Percy whipped his back to look at Annabeth. 

The skin on her arm was knitting itself back together, probably from ambrosia she'd taken, and Annabeth was struggling to her feet. She'd retrieved the spell from somewhere near the drakon's body. 

"Percy!" Annabeth shouted in warning. 

Percy instinctively ducked, just in time to dodge what would've been a fatal strike. Annabeth leaped up next to him and blasted Tartarus back, leaving the primordial on the ground. 

Annabeth's hair rippled wildly in the wind as she cried out the spell. It was mostly a string of gibberish, with Percy's name occasionally being heard. 

As the seconds passed, Percy felt something like a warm bubble start to expand within him, like his heart had been set on fire. 

Suddenly, he understood all the Greek words. 

Awaken the slumbering giant, bring him up from his sleep. Supply his power to the chosen one, and fuel the revenge of a lifetime. 

Percy had never felt so much pain. In all his years of torture, of dipping in the Styx, nothing compared to this. 

His bones had turned molten, and he felt like a river of lava as his own thoughts were jumbled up. 

What was his name again? 

Percy Jackson. 

It was another voice inside his head, and Percy nearly jumped out of his skin. 

Percy's knees wobbled and buckled, leaving him a mess of sprawled limbs on the ground. "Who are you?" he cried. 

I am Ouranos. 

Percy felt relief wash over his giddy brain. It was working. He was hosting Ouranos. 

With a yell, Percy forced himself to his feet, staggering as he approached Tartarus, wielding Backbiter and Riptide in either hand. 

Memories that belonged nowhere near him flashed through Percy's brain. 

A woman with flowing green hair and a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Babies with a hundred heads, hands, and a monstrous body. Then betrayal. A man with golden eyes ambushing him from behind. 

He wasn't just Percy. He was some sort of split between the primordial and the demigod. 

His eyes flickered to the right, to see Annabeth shielding her eyes from the glowing light that surrounded him, afraid of what might happen next. 

His bones didn't hurt anymore. He felt stronger than ever before, and he was ready to use it. 

Annabeth stopped her retreat as she gaped at the sight. It wasn't Percy. It looked like Percy. But even his walk had changed. His green eyes were too old to be in his body, and the vengeance that twisted his features sent shivers down her spine. 

Get out of here. 

Annabeth remembered what Percy had warned her to do earlier, and that jarred her back to reality. She had to contain Ouranos' powers. 

But she couldn't leave Percy. Annabeth prayed to all the gods that once this was over, and once Ouranos left his body, he would be okay. 

"You will pay," Ouranos growled. The voice was an echo underneath Percy's voice, like a deep bellow coming from within a mountain. 

Percy felt his vision black out again. Ouranos was too strong for him. He had to finish this quickly or he could die. 

Raising Backbiter, Percy sent Tartarus to the ground again with another gust of wind from his hurricane. 

"No!" Percy heard the primordial of the pit shout. "It's not possible!" 

He thrust his arm forward, impaling Tartarus right through with Backbiter, and Percy felt something leeching out of him and into the sword. 

"You will never win!" Tartarus yelled. 

Percy felt a sneer come over his features. 

"Oh, I already have," came Ouranos' unsympathetic voice. 

When the last of Ouranos' power left him, Percy was pummelled backwards by a blinding explosion, throwing him into a dark abyss. 

^^^^^

His eyelids fluttered open. 

Percy found himself staring at the yolk of a sun setting on the horizon. The colours pink, purple and blue streaked across the sky. 

Struggling to sit up, Percy groaned at the throbbing in his head. It was like a migraine that wasn't going away anytime soon. 

His fingers brushed against Riptide's hilt, and that was when Percy noticed the metal shards littering the hill around him. 

As he examined the metal, Percy realise do that some were Celestial bronze, and others were steel. 

Backbiter had shattered into a million pieces, which must have rained down on the hill. Percy looked down at himself. Not a scratch. 

Thank Zeus for invulnerability. 

Percy stumbled over to the bronze chest plate on the ground and flipped it over with the tip of his sword. The souls that were once trapped in Tartarus' armour were now released and set free. 

It was all that remained of Tartarus. 

Percy let out a sigh of relief. Tartarus was gone. His mortal form utterly destroyed. He was just a harmless pit. 

A jolt wracked his brain as Percy suddenly recalled Annabeth shielding her eyes when he'd taken on the spirit of Ouranos. 

Percy cursed under his breath as he whirled around, frantically scanning the landscape for the familiar blonde hair. His vision tunnelled when he saw her sprawled on the ground, panting with exhaustion. 

She hadn't been similarly shielded from the raining of metal, but it appeared that Annabeth had blasted most of them away. 

In that moment, Percy thanked all the gods and the Fates for having them be here after all this time. After everything they'd been through, a happily-ever-after was what they deserved. 

Riptide slid out of his hand as Percy dropped down beside Annabeth, watching the sunset with heavy breaths. 

"We're both alive," Annabeth said, almost in disbelief, as if she couldn't quite comprehend it. "We're both here together." 

"This is so unlike us," Percy agreed. Annabeth allowed a small laugh as she plucked out a small metal shard from her left forearm. 

"He's gone," Annabeth said, visibly relaxed. "It's over." 

Percy hesitantly threaded his hand in hers. Her gaze flicked up to meet his. "And we have forever to celebrate," Percy said softly. 

He leaned forward and captured her lips with his, eliciting a gasp as Annabeth rolled over so that she was kneeling in front of him. They kissed for a few moments, until cheers erupting from the campers interrupted their session of peace. 

Percy wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. "I love you," he murmured. 

Annabeth's heartwarming smile nearly melted him as much as Ouranos' spirit had. 

"There's still a war to win," Annabeth whispered with a frown. 

Percy pulled her to her feet, gripping Riptide as he surveyed the camp warily. 

The monsters had been scattered by the shock of the explosion, and Percy could see Pontus pale with panic as he furiously discussed tactics with his battle advisors. 

Without Tartarus' magic to sustain them, the invicta has crumbled and the warriors disintegrated. All that was left were legions of monsters who could see that this wouldn't be the fall of Olympus. 

Percy stepped up to the front of the hill. 

"Who's next?" he yelled, his voice echoing through the valley. 

Murmurs and growls amongst the monsters were followed by a fearful retreat. 

"No, don't pull back! Keep fighting!" Pontus shouted. 

Half of the forces remained, confused as to what they were doing, while about a quarter disappeared into the woods. 

Percy opened his mouth to ask Annabeth what the next step of their plan was, but was interrupted by her pulling him in for another kiss. 

They had lost friends today, but Olympus had survived to see tomorrow.


	49. A Brand New Sunset

Pontus surrendered. It was clearly his only option, and the gods whisked him away to construct a peace treaty that would prevent him from ever attempting anything like this ever again. 

The monsters fled as according to the agreed-upon armistice, leaving the demigods to face the gory aftermath of the battle. 

They had won the war, but not without it sacrifice. 

Percy swallowed as he passed horrific sights. Demigods were mourning dead friends, some of them even as young as 13, and some even younger. 

He and Annabeth had defeated Tartarus, but they couldn't save everyone. 

By now, Percy thought he wouldn't be fazed by the aftermath of battles any longer. 

"Grover," Percy sighed in relief when he saw the familiar satyr. 

His best friend's eyes lit up momentarily when he spotted him. 

"Perrrrcy!" Grover bleated, attacking him with a hug. "I can't believe you're alive!" He elbowed him. "Five years? Nothing at all?" 

"Sorry," Percy said apologetically. 

"Our empathy link is gone," Grover said quietly. 

Percy shrugged. "Doesn't change anything. Grover, I could not see you for ten years and still be your best friend." 

Grover visibly relaxed. "I'm just glad you're back," he sighed. "There was a time when this seemed impossible." 

Percy beckoned him to follow. "C'mon, Annabeth asked us to meet her on Half-Blood Hill." He wasn't quite sure why she'd made such a request, but she'd seemed grim about it. 

As they walked, Grover caught Percy up on everything that had happened while he was gone. Grover and Juniper had gotten married and had two kids. 

It was a little surreal that the same boy who had peanut butter thrown in his hair by bullies was now a father. 

As Percy hiked up the hill, he was thrust into a wave of déjà vu. He'd been here not an hour ago, during the sunset. And he was returning under the cover of the night. 

The dead drakon had since disintegrated, leaving a pelt of its skin as spoils. Thalia's pine tree lay splintered on the ground, the leaves already dying from a lack of water. 

"Her tree!" Grover gasped. It had stood there for over a decade, but it was gone now. 

Annabeth standing where Thalia's tree used to be, her hands cupping something small. As Percy neared her, he realised it was a sapling. 

"Grover," Annabeth's voice cracked. "When we were fighting, it was a mess. But Juniper—" She hesitated to hold back the tears welling in her eyes. 

Percy felt his heart sink with a horrible feeling as Grover's eyes flashed fearfully with realisation. "No," Grover breathed. 

"I'm sorry," Annabeth sniffled. "I couldn't— I tried." She took in a shaky breath. "She left behind this sapling. And now that Thalia's tree is gone, I thought that Juniper's new tree could protect the camp." 

Grover gathered the small sapling from Annabeth's hands, trembling as he knelt down to place it in the soil. 

Annabeth walked up next to Percy, and they exchanged grave looks. The death toll was higher than either of them had expected, especially when a lot of their friends had been killed in action. 

Grover pulled out his reed pipes, playing a soft tune as he encouraged the sapling to grow. 

Annabeth leaned into Percy as they watched Grover play about his and Juniper's lives together. 

He played about their first quest to retrieve Zeus' lightning bolt. He played about the Sea of Monsters. He played about Atlas, about the Labyrinth, and about Kronos. And most importantly, his love for Juniper. 

The small sapling started to grow, leaves spiralling and extending outwards. Annabeth watched as a majestic juniper tree formed right in front of her eyes. 

"The campers will always remember that she protected camp when she was most needed," Percy said quietly once Grover stopped playing. 

Grover swallowed. "I hope they do." 

The three of them stood in silence, reminiscing on an era that had both started and ended with the three of them. 

^^^^^

Leo tentatively pushed on the door to the infirmary. As the wood creaked open, his gaze landed on a familiar, beautiful brunette, sitting by the window and staring out into the stars. 

"Calypso," he sighed in relief as they rushed up to each other, enveloping in a tight embrace. 

Two months apart. It had nearly killed him. 

"I missed you so much," she murmured, kissing him softly. 

"Let's start our garage," Leo said suddenly. 

Calypso opened and closed her mouth speechlessly. "What?" 

"I'm five years late on my promise," Leo admitted. "But camp doesn't need us anymore. We've won two wars for them — I think we deserve a break." 

"A mortal life for Leo Valdez?" Calypso teased. 

Leo shrugged. "Any life with you is perfect." 

Calypso rolled her eyes. "Save the flattery. You already know I love you." 

Leo swept her into another kiss amidst giggles, and he swore that he would never stop. 

^^^^^

Hazel curled into Frank's warmth. The sand beneath her skin was cold, but the waves that lapped up onto the beach shore had a rhythmic, soothing pattern. 

"I can't believe we're here," Hazel whispered. 

"I can't believe we're married," Frank amended. 

Hazel laughed and pecked him on the cheek. "It is crazy." She bit her lip uncertainly. "Do you regret rushing into it?"

Frank shook his head. "Not for a moment. Knowing that there's a rock solid promise that I'll spend the rest of my life with you is what I'll hold on to for the rest of my life." 

Hazel reaches into his jacket and fiddled with his firestick of life. "Can you believe how long it's been? Five years, Frank, since Gaia." 

"I know," Frank sighed. "We didn't even get a break." 

"This is our time for happiness," Hazel said softly. "To live our lives in peace, and leaving the next fight to the next generation of demigods." 

"I hope nothing changes," Frank confessed. 

Hazel sighed. "Me too." 

^^^^^

Piper leaned back against the roof of the Zeus cabin as she stared at the sky. Jasper was sleeping soundly downstairs, but she hadn't seen Jason since the boat. 

Her heart hammered furiously. He could be dead right now. Piper refused to let herself think that way. 

Jason was the love of her life and one of her best friends. If he...

There was a soft creaking noise as someone started scaling the ladder. 

Piper's heart leaped in her chest as she saw a familiar head of blonde hair peek out of the entrance. 

"I thought I'd find you here," Jason said, grinning. 

Piper smiled weakly as they kissed softly. 

"We're so lucky," she murmured. "All three of us are alive, Jason. Not everyone had that privilege today." 

Jason frowned. "I know." His sister Thalia was rethinking her decision to lead the Hunters, unable to bear the deaths of her friends while she lived on forever. 

"Even though it's over," Piper paused hesitantly. "I can't help but miss the quest." She sighed. "I know that sounds horrible, but the quest gave us all a common purpose. It reunited us." 

She gave him a pointed look. "Do you remember what it was like before the quest? We saw each other during walks, and we would nod respectfully. I didn't speak to Hazel or Frank for months, and Leo disappeared off to Bunker 9 with Annabeth. The quest made us feel like a family." Piper fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "I don't want that to change." 

"It won't," Jason promised. "Five years ago, we were completely different people. Who we are now wouldn't dream of letting go of our friends." 

Piper sighed. "I guess you're right." 

They sat quietly for a few moments. 

"Are you ever scared of us being different now that the quest is over?" Jason voiced doubtfully. "We built this relationship on danger and necessity, Piper. I don't know if we can survive without it." 

Piper shook her head. "That might be how it started — false memories and expectations. But we've moved past that now. I love you because of you, Jason, not because some goddess forced us together in a play for power." 

Jason rested his head on her shoulder. "I love you too." There was a shuffling noise as Jason sat up again. "I have a gift for you," he said shyly. 

Piper looked at him amusedly. "A gift? The last gift you gave me was a gag gift for my birthday, with a pack of tissue inside a large shoebox." 

Jason flushed embarrassedly. "Yeah, this...this isn't quite the same." 

Piper cut off her laughs as he produced a small box, holding it out to her with a tentative smile. 

"Oh my gods," she breathed, covering her mouth with her hands. "Oh my gods." 

"Piper McLean," Jason started with a chuckle. "I love you. So much. I can't even begin to explain it. I couldn't live without you, that's for sure. You make me right. You make me the man I always wished I could be. You comfort me in times of pain, and your faith and support is what keeps me going." 

"If this is a gag gift I'm going to kill you so hard," Piper cried. 

Jason shook his head tearily. "It's not, it's not. I swear." He opened the box, displaying a ring with a diamond. "Will you marry me?" 

Piper half-sobbed. "Yes, yes, I will marry you." She flung her arms around him in a kiss. 

This was the start of a new life for them. 

^^^^^

Annabeth fiddled with her hands as she and Percy came up to the front door of her cabin. 

"This is me, I guess," Annabeth said quietly. 

Percy nodded silently. 

She studied his face. "Are you okay?" 

Percy swallowed. "Why did you stay?" 

Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows. "What?" 

"Why didn't you leave?" Percy cried. "You knew that Ouranos' power could kill you. I could've lost control! Tartarus could've killed me! It would've been you, alone, against a primordial!" 

"I couldn't leave you, could I?" Annabeth demanded. 

Percy shook his head. "You could've died! Why would you do something so rash?"

"Because I love you!" Annabeth yelled. 

Another silence settled over them. Their heavy pants were the only noises to be heard. 

Annabeth smashed into him, kissing him like it was their last day on Earth — which it almost had been. 

"I would go to the ends of the Earth for you, Percy," Annabeth whispered. Sincerity shone in her eyes. 

Percy groaned against her lips as her arms circled round his neck. They drew apart to catch their breaths, foreheads tilted so that the lock between their gazes never broke. 

Percy swallowed. "Do you..." he trailed off uncertainly. 

Annabeth pulled him towards her. "Yes," she breathed. 

Together, they stumbled across the field to Percy's cabin, where he shoved the door open. It slammed against the wall with a loud bang, but neither of them cared. 

As Percy closed the door behind them, Annabeth wrapped her legs around his waist. Percy held her up against a wall as their lips moved in sync, hands grasping and tearing away clothes as they moved closer to the bed. 

In one swift movement, Annabeth shed her t-shirt, Percy's belt and her shorts following suit. 

"You're sure about this?" she asked softly as Percy set her down on the bed. 

Her back arched as Percy kissed her again. 

His calloused fingers brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. "I've never been more sure about anything."


	50. Happily Ever After

Annabeth yawned as she rubbed her eyes lazily. 

Light streamed in through the small window above the bed, casting a soft glow on her. 

Annabeth rolled over to her left, and everything came rushing back to her. 

She hid a smile as Percy snorted in his sleep. His eyes fluttered open, staring hazily at her as if he couldn't belief she was here. 

"Mornin'," he mumbled. Percy's eyes widened in alarm. "Did I drool? Am I drooling?" 

Annabeth nearly snorted. "It's okay," she laughed. "You're safe." 

As he exhaled in relief, Percy seemed to realise that they were in bed together. 

"We are doing that again," Annabeth told him. 

Percy shrugged. "Agreed. We're too good at it, it'd be a sin if we didn't." 

Annabeth laughed, kissing him on the cheek. 

"You know that it wasn't just a spur of the moment, right?" Percy asked. 

Annabeth gave him a look of amusement. "Are you asking me out?" 

Percy blushed. "Yeah, for like the fifth time. At this point, Annabeth, we're like those on-and-odd couples of TV that you hate." 

She wrinkled her nose. "Don't you dare." 

As soon as the words exited her lips, the door burst open with a deafening bang. 

Annabeth yelped as she yanked the duvet up over her chest, while Percy scrambled to look nonchalant. 

In the doorway stood their fellow quest members, as well as Calypso, mouths agape and eyes wide. 

"What the hell are you doing?" Annabeth shrieked. 

"We could ask you the same thing!" Hazel shrieked back, her face stricken with horror. 

Annabeth buried her face in Percy's shoulder. She had never been so embarrassed in her entire life. 

"I told you she wasn't missing," Annabeth heard Leo tell Piper. 

"Get out!" Percy said frantically, wanting nothing more than to drown himself in the sea. 

The door slammed shut again, but the flurry of discussion outside the cabin still reached their ears. 

Annabeth sunk into the sheets. "Oh my gods," she laughed, nearly in tears. "I'm sorry, I know that was really bad, but their faces!" 

Percy rested his head on the headboard, closing his eyes as he chuckled. "Oh gods, you know they're never going to let us live that down, right?" 

^^^^^

Annabeth walked into the pavilion with red cheeks, avoiding meeting the eyes of her friends. 

Her hair was down to cover up the hickey on her neck, but she wasn't quite sure if it was working. Annabeth could feel Piper's gaze burning into the back of her head. 

Despite the losses they'd suffered yesterday, everyone was more upbeat and optimistic than usual. The future of Olympus was ahead of them, and they could control it however they wanted. 

Exactly two minutes and thirty seconds later, as they'd timed it, Percy walked in to breakfast, sitting down at the Big Three table. 

Jason, Thalia and Nico simultaneously looked up as he slid into the seat beside them. 

"So," Jason started, hiding a suggestive grin. "Saw the bruise on Annabeth's collarbone." 

Percy wanted to run Riptide through his abdomen. "Um, must be from the battle," he mumbled. 

"Was it a hellhound?" Nico asked in concern. That was when Percy realised that Nico and Thalia didn't actually know what they were talking about. 

"I haven't seen it yet," Thalia said impatiently. As Jason pointed it out to her, Percy poked at his food in ana tempt to ignore them. 

"Come on," he groaned softly. 

"That isn't a battle injury," Thalia scoffed. "That's—" 

"A mosquito bite!" Percy interjected with a yelp. 

The Grace siblings snickered as Percy gradually went from pale to red as a tomato. 

"There aren't any mosquitos here," Nico said confusedly. 

"It's not a mosquito bite," Thalia told him. "Percy gave Annabeth a hickey." 

"No!" Percy buried his face in his hands. 

"Oh my gods!" Nico gasped. "That was you? I thought someone broke a lamp last night!" 

"Okay, I need to go!" Percy said loudly. 

Thalia innocently batted her eyelashes at him. "You haven't finished eating yet." 

"It's okay, he's got Annabeth," Nico said with a grin. 

As his three friends burst into guffaws, Percy slammed his head on the table. 

"Percy, Percy, look." 

"No," he groaned. Thalia would never let him hear the end of this. 

"It's a message for you." 

Percy sat up warily, but they weren't lying. A scroll had fluttered down to the table. 

Meet us on the beach. Bring your quest members. A proper farewell and thanks is in order. 

"Thank you," Percy whispered as he prayed to the gods. Finally, an excuse to leave the awkwardness that was breakfast. 

He looked up at his friends. "So I have to go..." 

"You realise that I'm coming with you too, right?" Jason reminded him with a smirk. 

Percy gave him an ugly look before getting up to fetch the rest of his friends. 

While they traipsed down to the beach, Percy hung back with Annabeth. 

"How bad was it?" she asked between laughs. 

Percy shook his head. "You have no idea. They really are exploring the field of sexual innuendos now." 

Annabeth grinned. "Leo can finally impart his wisdom." 

"So, as we were discussing earlier," Percy paused. 

"When you were asking me out?" 

Percy flushed. "Yeah. I have this idea — don't judge me till I get through it — of living in Manhattan. I mean, I know it's not camp, but I could use a bit of a break." 

Annabeth smiled. "Yeah, I've been thinking about starting at an architecture firm there, since I got my degree while you were gone." 

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Wow." 

She shrugged. "Chiron's idea. I took a few classes and ended up enrolling full-time. Helped me get my mind off things." 

Percy grinned. "Y'know, it'll be easier to start a peaceful life in the mortal world. I could get my high school diploma, go to university." 

"Start a life together," Annabeth suggested. 

"Sounds like a dream," Percy admitted. 

"We'll get there," Annabeth assured him. "One step at a time." 

As they reached the beach, Percy gestured to the shore. "Look, you were right."

The twelve Olympians and Hades were standing on the sand, talking in low tones. Percy remembered what Athena had said about the gods; Yes, we fight, but don't all families? 

For once, they didn't look horrified to be in each other's presence. 

"Percy," Poseidon boomed when he saw them. His father wrapped him in a hug that nearly cracked his ribs. "We have much to catch up on." 

"Agreed," Athena said, eyeing the close proximity between Percy and Annabeth. Knowing that they had her blessing was a comfort to Percy, because that was one fewer reason for her to smite him into oblivion. 

"So to what do we owe this pleasure?" Jason voices uncertainly. 

Honestly, Percy didn't blame him. The gods never called them to a meeting for no reason.

"If it's another quest, I'm drowning myself right now," Leo muttered, earning a snicker from Percy. 

Zeus cleared his throat as he took the lead. "We just wanted to ensure that all of you know how," he paused and seemed to fight an internal battle, "grateful we all are." 

"We would've lost this war without you," Ares said gruffly. Percy glanced at the god of war, who had become visibly more subdued since Clarisse's death. 

Aphrodite slid her hand into his, squeezing it comfortingly. Percy tried not to laugh when Hephaestus rolled his eyes. 

"Is this finally enough for you to trust our judgement when we issue a warning?" Annabeth questioned, folding her arms. 

Athena nodded with a smile. "Yes. We have been unwise to ignore your counsel, Annabeth." 

Annabeth looked satisfied. 

"And we have another job for you," Athena informed her. 

Percy froze momentarily. They were going to send her on another quest. She was going to leave—

"Architect of New Olympus," Athena finished. 

Annabeth blinked. "What?" 

Athena sighed. "Chiron has informed us that many demigods, like yourselves, are growing up and living longer. Camp Half-Blood doesn't cater to those needs like New Rome did, so he has decided to start construction of something similar here, since the demigod stronghold will now be on Long Island." She paused. "We'd like you to be the lead architect of this project." 

Annabeth glanced at Percy. He knew what was running through her head. Everything they'd discussed before — the mortal world, leading normal lives. 

Percy knew that could never happen. They just weren't the sort of people who could live with absolute calm and peace. They needed some sort of link to the godly world, to their demigod heritage, and to danger. 

"Take it," he whispered encouragingly, flashing a supporting thumbs-up. "You deserve it." 

Annabeth smiled. "Yes, I'd be honoured to," she told her mother with a beaming smile. 

Athena stepped back in line with the rest of her godly family, offering the demigods a rare begrudging smile. 

"Good bye, demigods," Zeus said gravely. "For the sake of Olympus, I hope it is a long time before we have to meet again." 

Normally, Percy would've been offended. But he knew that a lack of godly sightings usually meant that everything was all right. 

"In the future, we will not cut Olympus off from the world," Poseidon promised. "Whether we acknowledge it or not, we need demigods. You are our biggest hope for survival. Thank you, for defending us time and time again." 

Hades nodded. "Should you have any requests of us, in the future, we will not ignore them as we have before." 

Athena smiled. "Farewell, and I recommend that you look away." 

Percy averted his eyes moments before blasts of searing heat scorched his skin as the gods returned to their natural supernova forms and back to Olympus. 

^^^^^

"It wasn't such a long time ago that I couldn't even look at you," Annabeth murmured, leaning against Percy as the watched the sun set. That just reminded her of the false memory and him kissing Rachel. 

She felt Percy press a kiss to her head. "I know," his voice came out muffled. "Hades, we were stupid." 

Annabeth chuckled. "Yeah." She basked in their solitude, just the two of them lying on the beach, enjoying each other's company. After five years alone, Annabeth was ready to live out her life with Percy at her side. 

Her fingers drifted to Percy's back, hesitantly running over his weak spot. 

Annabeth felt Percy stiffen, then visibly relax. 

"It's giving me déjà vu," Annabeth admitted. The first time they were dating, in the middle of the second Titan War, she'd taken a knife for him, and Percy had shown her where his Achilles spot was. 

To someone who had never really been able to trust anyone, it meant the world to Annabeth that he trusted her this much. 

"Want to know what I saw in the Styx?" 

Annabeth glanced up. The first time, Percy had somewhat hinted at her being his anchor to the mortal world, but he'd never told her exactly what he'd seen. She assumed that it was a private thing she wasn't meant to know.

"We were dangling off the edge," Percy started slowly. 

Tartarus, Annabeth automatically added in her head. 

"You were holding me. And we fell together." 

Annabeth swallowed. "I would've done it for you. Fallen into Tartarus, I mean." 

Percy brushed her hair over her shoulder fondly. "I know." He frowned. "Annabeth, I don't know about the curse." 

She furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?" 

Percy ran a hand through his hair. "Remember Akhlys?" 

Annabeth shivered in fear. "Yeah." Percy had been terrifying that day, controlling her own poison, killing her from the inside. 

"Please make sure I don't become that person," he pleaded. "The curse of Achilles means that I risk losing touch with my mortality, becoming too arrogant and dying as a result." 

Annabeth bit her lip. She did get where he was coming from. The first time around, he'd almost prematurely attacked Kronos' army. He'd left her behind when dealing with the river gods. 

"You're my anchor, Annabeth," he said softly. "You are the one person who reminds me that I'm still mortal. Because when I'm around you, I know that I would die for you." 

Annabeth exhaled slowly. "Well, that's, uh, something I usually save for the second date." 

Percy laughed, elbowing her in the side. Annabeth intertwined their fingers, resting her head in the crook of her neck. 

"I promise to save you even when you think you don't need saving." 

Percy smiled. "And I promise to always listen to you." 

"Yeah, I'm always right," Annabeth muttered under her breath, a grin threatening to break through her sombre features. 

Percy gazed out at the sea for a few silent seconds. Studying his face carefully, Annabeth tilted her head to the side. "What is it?" 

A mischievous glint in his eyes made her wary. 

"C'mon," Percy urged, beckoning as he scrambled to his feet, kicking off his shoes. 

Annabeth gaped speechlessly as he turned back to look at her expectantly. "You're crazy," she said accusatorially. 

Percy gave her that lopsided grin that always pulled at her heartstrings. 

"C'mon, let's go for a swim," Percy begged, tearing off his shirt. "It'll be fun." 

His green eyes sparkled with an innocence. 

"Ah, shit," Annabeth muttered as she relented, tossing her shoes to one side as she ran after Percy. 

Laughs and giggles travelled across the waves that night as Percy playfully dragged her into the sea. 

As they sank into the deep waters, Annabeth felt an air bubble form around them. 

Her eyes fluttered open, and Percy started floating towards her, holding her waist as they steadied each other. 

"It's always been you," Percy said breathlessly.

Annabeth felt the corner of her mouth quirk up. "I love you too, Seaweed Brain." She leaned forward and captured his lips, kissing in their private oasis in the sea. 

And it was the best underwater kiss of all time.


	51. Epilogue - Together

{ 3 years later }

"Percy, you're hyperventilating." 

Percy winced. "Is it hot in here?" he panted, ignoring Jason's concerned looks. 

"It's summer," came Leo's remark from the chair in the corner. "It's always hot." 

The door to Zeus' cabin burst open as Grover barged inside, bleating nervously. 

"What? What? Was there a monster attack?" Percy demanded. "Has Annabeth changed her mind? Oh my gods, Gaia's risen again, hasn't she?" 

Grover furrowed his eyebrows. "What?" 

Jason stepped in front of Percy. "Don't worry about him," the son of Zeus assured him. "Wedding nerves." 

Grover nodded understandingly. There were enchilada crumbs of evidence on his suit, but Percy was more concerned about the worry on his face. 

"It's just a small crisis," Grover stammered. "Magnus kind of brought some Norse gods with him. And Sadie and Carter brought Anubis." 

Percy felt his jaw drop. This was a disaster; three different mythologies mixing was a very bad idea. 

"Okay, what did Piper say?" Percy asked. 

"She's dealing with it," Grover panted. "Thalia's got the Hunters on Anubis, and Estelle has Thor distracted with hopscotch." He sighed. "Frank, Leo, Jason, we need you to take their place in greeting the guests." 

Percy slumped into his chair. "Everything is falling apart." 

Jason knelt down next to him. "Look, you and Annabeth love each other, and that's all that matters," he reminded. 

Percy frowned. "Yeah, she's the one person who can calm me down, and the one person I can't see for 24 hours." He groaned as his four friends looked at him with arched eyebrows. "I'm fine, go do wedding stuff." 

Jason eyed him suspiciously. "Are you sure?" 

"Yes, I won't run away, I promise," Percy assured him. "I know when to come out anyway, and Piper will come get me." 

There were choruses of "good luck" and "don't worry" as they exited the Zeus cabin, leaving Percy alone. 

His gaze flickered to the giant statue of Zeus in the corner, and Percy could've sworn he felt sparks crackling at his fingertips. 

Being in the cabin of a god who disliked him wasn't helping his nerves. 

Percy made a split second decision as he grabbed his tie and slipped out of the cabin. He needed something familiar right now. 

The scent of the sea wafted past him the moment Percy neared the Poseidon cabin. Even though he hadn't lived here in eight years, Percy still considered it to be one of his homes. 

His tensed shoulders relaxed, and he longed to race to the beach and just sink the bottom of the sea, and forget about all of this. 

It wasn't that he was getting cold feet. Annabeth was the love of his life. There was no question about it. But there were a million things that could go wrong today, and Percy wanted it all to be perfect. 

He only got to do this once. 

When Percy pushed the door open and stepped inside, he nearly got a heart attack. 

Annabeth was standing there, pacing nervously from side to side. Her head snapped up the moment she heard the door creak. 

"Percy!" she breathed in relief. 

Percy couldn't find the words to reply her. 

Annabeth was absolute radiant. Truthfully, she was gorgeous every time Percy looked at her, but in her wedding dress and with her hair pulled up in a bun, Annabeth looked like a goddess. 

He mumbled something unintelligible. It was like he'd dipped in the Styx again, scrambling his brain into incomprehensible thoughts. 

"Oh my gods," Percy finally managed. 

Annabeth flushed a dark red. "I know, I'm not supposed to be here," she said embarrassedly. "But I—" 

"No," Percy interrupted. "You-you look beautiful." 

Annabeth glanced down, and she seemed to remember that she was in a wedding dress. A small smile formed on her face. "Oh, thank you." 

Percy's eyes widened. "Wait, you're not supposed to be here!" 

"I know!" Annabeth cried. She sighed. "I couldn't stopped thinking about everything that could go wrong, and I just needed to see you. I was hoping you'd be here." 

"I was getting ready in Jason's cabin," Percy explained. 

Now that he was able to form proper sentences and not jumbled nonsense, Percy realised he wasn't supposed to see her. 

"It's bad luck to see the bride!" he protested. 

Annabeth crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Percy, I think we've had all the bad luck we could possibly get." 

Percy blushed. "You're probably right." Camp-swapping amnesia, falling into the deepest part of Hell, and then being kidnapped all over again — it could only go uphill from here. 

Annabeth hesitated. "I'm scared." 

Percy swallowed. "Why?" 

She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Well, every time I tried to build a family, it crumbled right away. Luke and Thalia, then you. What if this doesn't work out?" Annabeth sighed. "Don't get me wrong, I love you, Percy. But there are other things that can get in the way." 

"I love you too," Percy said sincerely. "And I know that that's enough." He placed his hands on her waist, and softly tilted her head up to look at him. "Doesn't matter what comes our way. We'll work through it together." 

"Sounds an awful lot like a vow," Annabeth said, trying to lighten the mood. 

Percy blinked. "I mean, we could say them now. What we can't really say in front of other people. That would calm us down." 

Annabeth smiled. "Alright, then." She took a deep breath. "I love you, Percy. And yet those three words aren't enough to tell you how much I do. You are my other half, my best friend, and my soulmate." 

"To be honest, when we were kids, I never in a million years could've imagined us here today." 

"Ouch," Percy muttered. 

She laughed. "Yeah, it was an understatement to say we annoyed each other. But it wore off eventually, and I realised that the love of my life had been there all along. Everyone says that you can't be that young and fall in love, but I know they're wrong because I did. Kissing you in Mt. St Helen's was the best choice I ever made, because I don't know what I'd do without you."

Percy chuckled. That kiss was their own private memory. No one else knew about it. It was just for them. 

"We've grown into different people since then," Annabeth said. "But I have never stopped loving you. Not in the eight months you were gone, or the five years that followed." She hid a smile. "And I'll never stop. That's my vow to you. I promise to love you and trust you no matter what — no matter how much you drool." 

Percy groaned. 

"I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together." Annabeth gave his hand a squeeze. "Okay, your turn." 

Percy exhaled in disbelief. "Yeah, um, I'm not so much with the words, unlike you. So this isn't going to be the most eloquent speech." He paused. "When I was growing up, I was always that stupid kid in class. And at home, things with Gabe weren't the best either. I never thought I'd ever achieve anything in life. Maybe end up a failure just like him. But I'm standing here today, and I can confidently say that you are my greatest achievement." 

"Being able to say that I love you, and that you love me back, is one of the most important things in my life. I'll tell it to you for the rest of our lives. Just so you don't forget. Even if we're old and wrinkly and tired of everything, I'll still tell you how much I love you everyday." 

Percy sighed. "I know you had a hard time growing up. Everyone you trusted betrayed you. But know that I will never do that. You can always trust me, Annabeth." He shrugged. "And that's my promise, I guess. I'll always be there for you." 

Annabeth wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug. 

"I love you," she murmured. 

Percy smiled. "Love you too." 

As they withdrew, Percy didn't let go of her hand. "Ready to walk out of here and return as a married couple?" 

Annabeth exhaled. "We're growing up, Percy." 

"You are smart." 

Annabeth rolled her eyes and laughed. "Come on." 

She stepped forward and pulled him out the door. 

It was the end of an era, but the beginning of a new life. 

Together.


End file.
